Comments on EPA Methane White Papers

A joint statement from the Attorneys General of New York, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish formal emission standards and guidelines for methane in the oil and gas sector following the publication of five technical white papers.

• The Attorneys General of seven states urge the EPA to move beyond publishing white papers and promptly set emission standards and guidelines for methane under sections 111(b) and (d) of the Clean Air Act.
• Methane is identified as a potent greenhouse gas that warms the climate approximately 34 times more than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period, accounting for about 9 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
• Based on 2012 data, methane emissions from the oil and gas sector are distributed across four segments: transmission (33%), production (32%), distribution (20%), and processing (14%).
• The states criticize the EPA's 'Oil and Natural Gas Sector Leaks' white paper for excluding the distribution sector, noting that leaks in this segment comprise about one-fifth of oil and gas sector methane emissions.
• Hydraulically-fractured oil wells are significant sources of emissions; one cited study estimated methane emissions from their completions at approximately 247,000 metric tons per year, while another estimated VOC emissions at approximately 116,230 tons per year.
• Compressors and pneumatic devices are major emission sources; compressors emitted over 2 million tons of methane in 2012, and pneumatic controllers and pumps account for approximately 13% and 16% of emissions from production and processing segments, respectively.
• Liquids unloading, specifically 'well blowdown' processes, accounted for about 14 percent of emissions from the natural gas production segment in 2012, but can be reduced by over 90% using optimized plunger lift systems.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2014). Comments on EPA Methane White Papers. https://www.eesi.org/files/States-final-methane-white-paper-comments.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Comments on EPA Methane White Papers. 2014. https://www.eesi.org/files/States-final-methane-white-paper-comments.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Comments on EPA Methane White Papers |date=16 June 2014 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/States-final-methane-white-paper-comments.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2014comments, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Comments on EPA Methane White Papers}}, publisher = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2014}, month = jun, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/States-final-methane-white-paper-comments.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }