A big down payment on climate

Dear Friend,

The Senate just made a huge down payment on our fight against the climate crisis. We voted to pass the resolution that I am championed to bring back strong EPA standards on methane emissions in the oil and gas industry. This is by far the most significant federal action we have taken in years to confront the climate crisis and reduce dangerous air pollution that is harming communities in New Mexico.

VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich speaks on the Senate Floor about his resolution to reinstate EPA methane emissions standards, April 28, 2021.

As a greenhouse gas, methane has over 80 times the global warming potency as carbon dioxide in the short term. It is estimated that around a quarter of the human-caused global warming that has occurred since the 1850s can be attributed to methane emissions. In the United States, the lion's share of these human-caused methane emissions are from the oil and gas industry--which is why we need clear standards at the EPA to prevent waste and leaks of methane.

Unfortunately, the federal rules that we had in place at the EPA to reduce methane pollution became one of the targets of the Trump administration's reckless rollbacks of protections of our clean air and clean water in this country. Late last year, President Trump dismantled the EPA rules that required oil and gas producers to monitor for methane leaks at their wells, at their compressor stations, and at their other operations. That was a total disaster for our climate and for public health.

As we transition toward a 100 percent clean energy and pollution-free future, we must do all can to mitigate the harmful pollution caused by our current use of fossil fuels. With today's vote, the Senate restored the EPA's ability to set clear standards and requirements for oil and gas companies to reduce waste and harmful pollution. This is an incredibly powerful step in confronting the existential threat posed by greenhouse gas pollution and a warming planet.

This is a major first, but will not be the last, step that this Congress takes to confront the climate crisis. We need to build on today's historic vote by taking up President Biden's American Jobs Plan. The president's plan will put millions of Americans to work building a clean energy economy, restoring our landscapes, and creating a carbon pollution-free future. I won't allow us to miss the greatest opportunity in our lifetimes to save the future of our planet.

Sincerely,

MARTIN HEINRICH

United States Senator