The U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced it will delay enacting the 2024 EPA Supplemental Methane Rule, which would deliver strong protections against pervasive methane pollution and defend the health of Pennsylvanians. This rule is based on medical research and public comments outlining the impact that methane and other pollutants have on the health of those in our commonwealth.
In response to this announcement, Kim Anderson, EEN’s Director of Member Mobilization, shared:
“Delaying these much-needed protections against methane pollution endangers our health and is fiscally irresponsible. As evangelicals, we believe that all human life is worth defending, including the nearly 1.5 million Pennsylvanians who live, work, and go to school near oil and gas facilities, exposing them to higher rates of dangerous pollutants.
“In one year, oil and gas operations wasted $178 million worth of natural gas–enough to serve the heating and cooling needs of every household in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh for a whole year. In a time when energy costs are on the rise, this is a waste of valuable resources. This leaking gas also poses a risk to human health, but it is preventable. That’s why nearly 50,000 pro-life evangelicals in our commonwealth supported a strong and swift State Implementation Rule over the last two years. Our federal government should listen to these residents and ensure there is no delay to the rule. Similarly, our state should move forward with a strong plan to defend our health. Any delay will harm the hearts, minds, and lungs of Pennsylvanians, especially our children, both born and unborn.”
