Interior Department Official Opposes Bill Easing Methane Measurement Requirements for Plugging Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells.

A senior Interior Department official, Steve Feldgus, has voiced opposition to legislation proposed by Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa), that would allow states to plug more abandoned and orphaned oil and gas wells. The bill, H.R. 7053, also includes eliminating requirements for states to measure methane leaks before and after plugging a well as a condition for obtaining Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding. Feldguss objected to the elimination of requirements for methane leaks prior and after a well being plugged, arguing that this would exempt states from meeting requirements for gas and oil and oil exploration. The legislation, co-sponsored by Thompson and Democratic Rep. Christopher Deluzio, would make it optional for states without measuring methane emissions to qualify for grants.