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The Clean Air Task Force strongly opposes the EPA's proposal to weaken methane leak detection and repair standards for the oil and gas industry, arguing that such rollbacks will increase emissions of methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), harming public health and the climate.

The FUTURE Act provides tax credits for CO2 captured from power plants, industrial sources, and direct air capture, with rates ramping up to $50/ton for saline storage and $35/ton for enhanced oil recovery by 2026. The credits are available for 12 years to projects that commence construction within a six-year window. Assessments by the IEA and DOE suggest the act could increase capture capacity or reduce emissions by 10 to 30 million tons by 2030, with significant interest from industrial sources and companies like Occidental Petroleum.

The Clean Air Task Force opposes the EPA's proposed replacement of the Clean Power Plan, arguing it violates the Clean Air Act and would lead to approximately 1,000 avoidable deaths per year by extending the operation of old coal plants.

The oil and gas industry emits over 8 million tons of methane and toxic pollutants annually, contributing to ozone smog and respiratory issues in rural America. Case studies in Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Mexico highlight increased rates of asthma, cancer risks, and other respiratory ailments among residents living near facilities. The report advocates for federal standards to reduce methane emissions by half through leak detection, reduced venting, and gas capture.

The Clean Air Task Force criticizes the EPA's proposed 2019 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs), noting that cellulosic biofuels account for less than 2% of the total mandate despite a congressional goal for them to represent nearly one-third. The organization asserts that the RFS allows corn ethanol and soy biodiesel to dominate the market, with increased soy biodiesel production contributing to deforestation in Southeast Asia and Latin America.

The Clean Air Task Force welcomes Pennsylvania's action to reduce methane emissions from new natural gas equipment, noting the state's position as the second-largest gas producer. The organization advocates for the state to next address emissions from existing equipment and contrasts Pennsylvania's approach with the federal government's policies, which it describes as rolling back safeguards intended to control methane waste and address climate change.

The briefing argues that methane mitigation in the oil and gas sector is technologically feasible and often cost-effective, but requires regulatory mandates rather than just voluntary actions to ensure uniform adoption. It highlights that a 50% reduction in emissions could be achieved at no net cost, providing a significant climate impact. Key barriers identified include limited capital for state-owned companies and insufficient monitoring staff in some countries, suggesting a need for innovative financing and third-party verification technologies.

The Clean Air Task Force supports the USE IT Act, arguing that it complements the 45Q tax credit by funding direct air capture, carbon utilization R&D, and pipeline infrastructure, all of which are necessary to meet Paris Agreement temperature targets as indicated by the IPCC.

The report advocates for a transition from conventional light-water reactors to advanced nuclear technologies to achieve a low-carbon energy future. It highlights that meeting climate targets may require up to 1,600 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2035–2050, necessitating a tenfold increase in current build rates. Advanced reactors offer potential improvements in safety through passive systems, reduced waste via fast neutron spectrums, and lower costs through modular factory manufacturing. The document identifies significant institutional obstacles in licensing and export controls and proposes internationally harmonized standards to accelerate global deployment.

A coalition of NGOs issued a statement following a U.S. District Court ruling that granted a preliminary injunction against the delay of the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) methane waste rule. The court found that the BLM failed to follow legal requirements for agency rulemaking, relying on "opinions untethered to evidence" rather than reasoned analysis. The statement highlights that the 2016 rule requires oil and gas companies to reduce methane venting and flaring and perform leak detection and repair on federal public lands. The NGOs argue that allowing methane waste results in significant financial losses for taxpayers, public health risks from toxic pollutants like benzene, and increased climate emissions due to methane's potency as a greenhouse gas.

The Clean Air Task Force is engaging in joint advocacy to scale up carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the US, arguing that CCS is an essential tool for limiting global warming and requires a level of advocacy similar to that which drove the commercial competitiveness of wind and photovoltaics. The organization supports additional policies and implementation efforts following the adoption of incentives for CCS by Congress.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) condemns the Trump Administration's move to roll back the EPA's October 2016 Control Techniques Guidelines (CTGs), which provided a framework for oil and gas companies to reduce smog-forming pollution in areas exceeding national limits and within the Ozone Transport Region. CATF argues that these guidelines are a "vital blueprint" for states to address dangerous emissions and that their removal harms vulnerable communities. The organization references its own 2016 report, "Gasping for Breath," which linked 750,000 annual childhood asthma attacks to oil and gas industry pollution, and pledges to oppose the proposal during the public comment period.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) has issued a statement opposing the Trump Administration's proposal to roll back the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) 2016 Methane Waste Rule. The 2016 Rule aimed to reduce the venting and flaring of natural gas, primarily methane, on American public lands to protect public health, the environment, and U.S. Treasury revenue. CATF characterizes this proposal as part of a broader pattern of easing oversight for the oil and gas industry, noting previous failed attempts to repeal or delay the rule via the Congressional Review Act and unlawful administrative delays. The proposal is now entering a 60-day public comment period.

The Clean Air Task Force welcomes the passage of the FUTURE Act and the companion Carbon Capture Act, which increase 45Q tax credits to $35/ton for enhanced oil recovery and $50/ton for other geologic storage. The legislation provides a seven-year window for construction eligibility to stimulate CCUS project development.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) highlights XTO's support for "jurisdictionally appropriate" methane regulations, including those for existing equipment, to argue against the Trump Administration's efforts to discard current EPA and BLM rules. CATF asserts that these rules are based on proven, low-cost measures used in Colorado and Wyoming and should be preserved rather than removed for the convenience of a few operators.

CATF argues that the California Air Resources Board's draft protocol for carbon capture and geologic sequestration relies on arbitrary timeframes, specifically a 100-year post-closure monitoring requirement, which may deter investment. CATF proposes a performance-based approach where site closure is determined by demonstrating CO2 plume stability and storage integrity rather than a fixed duration. The document highlights the different risk profiles of saline brine storage versus enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and cites the Mountaineer project in West Virginia as an example where stability was demonstrated in three years, allowing for early closure.

The Clean Air Task Force challenges EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt on the repeal of the Clean Power Plan, the suspension of methane New Source Performance Standards for the oil and gas industry, and the rollback of air toxics policies, arguing these actions contradict the EPA's mandate to protect public health and rely on scientific evidence.

The Clean Air Task Force and 10 other organizations, following 19 states and cities, have requested that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt recuse himself from the rulemaking process to repeal the Clean Power Plan. The groups argue that Pruitt's public assertions that the repeal is a "done deal" demonstrate a "closed mind," effectively turning the public comment period, which runs until late April, into a "pro forma exercise."

The Clean Air Task Force argues that New Jersey's nuclear plants, specifically Hope Creek and Salem, are critical for maintaining the state's zero-carbon electricity share. The testimony asserts that replacing these plants with wind and solar would require an impractical scale of immediate buildout, and replacing them with gas would increase regional emissions by approximately 11 million tons annually, undermining goals like those of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The author supports a proposed subsidy of approximately $10/MWH to keep these plants operational as a low-cost interim measure.

The Clean Air Task Force criticizes the API's Environmental Partnership as an insufficient voluntary effort to curb methane emissions, noting that its targets for leak detection and pneumatic controller replacement are far weaker than existing state and federal regulations. The authors argue that voluntary programs cannot achieve the same emission reductions as mandatory, cost-effective standards, highlighting that oil and gas equipment in the US releases over 8 million tons of methane annually.