By By Congresswoman Nanette Barragán
01 Mar 2024, 11:34 AM EST
Californians are familiar with the dangers of methane, an odorless, colorless gas 80 times more effective at trapping atmospheric heat than carbon dioxide. In 2015, a methane leak in the Santa Susana Mountains, known as the Aliso Canyon gas leak, displaced thousands of families and left hundreds more with long-term health problems. It was one of the worst environmental disasters in the history of this state. About 100,000 tons of gas were released into the atmosphere and experts continue to analyze a series of health problems, many of them serious, suffered by nearby residents.
Even though such a massive disaster occurred on the doorstep of thousands of Californians, leaks continue to occur at both oil and gas wells and storage facilities, especially in vulnerable communities. The oil and gas sector is the largest industrial source of methane pollution in the United States. This dangerous pollution affects more than 10 million Americans living in frontline communities near oil and gas operations, including more than 1.8 million Latinos.
I know the impact methane pollution can have on underserved communities, including Latino communities. I first ran for city council to fight to protect our oceans and our communities that would have been directly affected by a proposed oil drilling site in Southern California. Our communities deserve better. That’s why I’m a strong advocate for strict methane regulations and a transition to clean energy.
Since taking office, the Biden administration has taken bold action on climate. President Biden and Democrats in Congress approved major clean energy and climate investments through the Inflation Reduction Act to reduce the effects of climate change, create clean energy jobs, and combat pollution, all to ensure that our communities are protected. This includes Methane Emissions Reduction programs to charge industry for wasted methane emissions from oil and gas wells and gas storage facilities like Aliso Canyon.
About two years ago, as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Climate Change Task Force, my colleagues and I delivered a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calling for stricter methane regulations to oil and gas wells.
In December, the EPA finalized a new set of rules to reduce methane pollution and other air pollutants from the oil and gas sector, a significant step toward solving the climate crisis and protecting public health. Recently, President Biden suspended all approvals for new liquefied natural gas export facilities until their climate impact can be assessed, a decision that will prevent at least 200 million tons of planet-warming emissions that cause climate change and endanger jeopardize the health of frontline communities living near these export facilities.
Communities of color who live near oil and gas wells will benefit from these new rules. One of those areas is Wilmington, California, a majority-Latino community that experiences some of the worst air quality in the Los Angeles area. It also faces the consequences of past oil well leaks. In 2021, I hosted EPA Administrator Michael Regan in Wilmington, CA to hear community concerns. We know that these oil leaks have increased pollution levels and subsequently created and exacerbated health problems such as asthma, stroke, diabetes and liver disease. In fact, one in three households in Wilmington reported cancer rates and more than 50% of households have a member who suffers from asthma.
The new regulations will promote the use of technology, reduce the burning of excess gas at drilling sites (known as flaring), and require leak monitoring to ensure regular inspections that will protect the people of Wilmington and similar communities.
President Biden has made enormous progress in reducing methane pollution, more than any of his predecessors. The current regulations created by Biden’s EPA will prevent more pollutants from impacting our cities, neighborhoods, and homes. This is an important part of Biden’s climate legacy and will be seen as one of his biggest moves to address the climate crisis. While we have more work to do to reduce emissions and accelerate the transition to clean energy, the new methane standards and the pause on liquefied natural gas export facilities are important steps forward. President Biden and House Democrats are putting the American people first.