{ "id": "R43860", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R43860", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 457091, "date": "2016-11-18", "retrieved": "2016-11-28T21:05:24.877623", "title": "Methane: An Introduction to Emission Sources and Reduction Strategies", "summary": "The Obama Administration\u2019s Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions \nOn June 25, 2013, President Obama announced a national \u201cClimate Action Plan\u201d (CAP) to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs), as well as to encourage adaptation to expected climate change. One of the initiatives within the CAP focused on the control of methane emissions, a potent short-lived climate pollutant. It called for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, the Interior, Labor, and Transportation to develop a comprehensive interagency \u201cStrategy to Reduce Methane Emissions.\u201d The Strategy, released on March 28, 2014, committed to steps to cut methane emissions by an estimated 16% from 2012 levels by 2020 through both voluntary actions and agency rulemaking. It also outlined the Administration\u2019s efforts to improve the measurement and assessment of these emissions.\nPerspectives on the Strategy\nSome stakeholders, including many in the affected sectors (i.e., agriculture, fossil energy, and waste management), have raised concerns over federal proposals requiring more stringent controls. They argue that further regulation of methane emissions would not provide cost-effective health and environmental benefits. Some industries contend that they are already doing everything feasible to capture and reuse methane emissions (for requisite safety and economic reasons) and that state and local authorities\u2014who share a closer understanding of the industries\u2019 specific circumstances\u2014are best equipped to oversee and enforce emission reduction efforts within their jurisdictions.\nOther stakeholders, including many health and environmental advocates, contend that the Strategy and its proposed rulemakings fall short. They argue that methane emissions can jeopardize worker safety, lead to ground-level ozone formation (commonly referred to as \u201csmog\u201d), and act as a potent GHG. Recent events in the United States (e.g., the rise in domestic oil and natural gas production, the encroachment of domestic oil and natural gas production on new or more populated areas, and the revitalization of the petrochemical manufacturing sector) have led these stakeholders to suggest the need for more enforceable standards. Likewise, they estimate that the Obama Administration\u2019s recent GHG reduction targets, offered under the U.S. commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, would be unattainable without further controls.\nThe Role of Methane\nBehind it all is methane\u2014the world\u2019s simplest hydrocarbon and the primary component of natural gas. It is released into the atmosphere by both natural sources (such as wetlands and wildfires) and human activities (such as oil and natural gas systems, coal mines, landfills, and the raising of livestock). When captured, methane can be used as either a fuel or a chemical feedstock, with many advantages over other fossil fuels (e.g., it is more versatile and less polluting). Its dual nature as both a pollutant and a commodity makes efforts to control emissions potentially beneficial to both the environment and the economy.\nFor these reasons, as far back as the 1970s, the federal government has sought policies to help reduce, capture, and reuse methane emissions. Whether strategies to control emissions are effective and cost-efficient for a given industry may depend upon a number of factors, including the nature and extent of the emissions, the technology available for capture, and the market price for the recovered products. In this way, the cost-benefit considerations are similar to those of energy efficiency efforts, wherein high up-front investments and other market barriers, if confronted by producers, may be offset over time. \nRecent federal policies have included a variety of funding programs for research and technology development as well as voluntary programs and tax incentives for industry. Historically, methane emissions were addressed directly by two federal rules: one on new municipal landfills and another on federal oil and gas leases. Since the Strategy\u2019s release, the Administration has proposed and finalized several additional rules\u2014on oil and natural gas systems, coal mines, and municipal landfills. 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One of the initiatives within the CAP focused on the control of methane emissions, a potent short-lived climate pollutant. It called for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, the Interior, Labor, and Transportation to develop a comprehensive interagency \u201cStrategy to Reduce Methane Emissions.\u201d The Strategy, released on March 28, 2014, committed to steps to cut methane emissions by an estimated 16% from 2012 levels by 2020 through both voluntary actions and agency rulemaking. It also outlined the Administration\u2019s efforts to improve the measurement and assessment of these emissions.\nPerspectives on the Strategy\nSome stakeholders, including many in the affected sectors (i.e., agriculture, fossil energy, and waste management), have raised concerns over federal proposals requiring more stringent controls. They argue that further regulation of methane emissions would not provide cost-effective health and environmental benefits. Some industries contend that they are already doing everything feasible to capture and reuse methane emissions (for requisite safety and economic reasons) and that state and local authorities\u2014who share a closer understanding of the industries\u2019 specific circumstances\u2014are best equipped to oversee and enforce emission reduction efforts within their jurisdictions.\nOther stakeholders, including many health and environmental advocates, contend that the Strategy and its proposed rulemakings fall short. They argue that methane emissions can jeopardize worker safety, lead to ground-level ozone formation (commonly referred to as \u201csmog\u201d), and act as a potent GHG. Recent events in the United States (e.g., the rise in domestic oil and natural gas production, the encroachment of domestic oil and natural gas production on new or more populated areas, and the revitalization of the petrochemical manufacturing sector) have led these stakeholders to suggest the need for more enforceable standards. Likewise, they estimate that the Obama Administration\u2019s recent GHG reduction targets, offered under the U.S. commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, would be unattainable without further controls.\nThe Role of Methane\nBehind it all is methane\u2014the world\u2019s simplest hydrocarbon and the primary component of natural gas. It is released into the atmosphere by both natural sources (such as wetlands and wildfires) and human activities (such as oil and natural gas systems, coal mines, landfills, and the raising of livestock). When captured, methane can be used as either a fuel or a chemical feedstock, with many advantages over other fossil fuels (e.g., it is more versatile and less polluting). Its dual nature as both a pollutant and a commodity makes efforts to control emissions potentially beneficial to both the environment and the economy.\nFor these reasons, as far back as the 1970s, the federal government has sought policies to help reduce, capture, and reuse methane emissions. Whether strategies to control emissions are effective and cost-efficient for a given industry may depend upon a number of factors, including the nature and extent of the emissions, the technology available for capture, and the market price for the recovered products. In this way, the cost-benefit considerations are similar to those of energy efficiency efforts, wherein high up-front investments and other market barriers, if confronted by producers, may be offset over time. \nRecent federal policies have included a variety of funding programs for research and technology development as well as voluntary programs and tax incentives for industry. Historically, methane emissions were addressed directly by two federal rules: one on new municipal landfills and another on federal oil and gas leases. Since the Strategy\u2019s release, the Administration has proposed and finalized several additional rules\u2014on oil and natural gas systems, coal mines, and municipal landfills. 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One of the initiatives within the CAP focused on the control of methane emissions, a potent short-lived climate pollutant. It called for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, the Interior, Labor, and Transportation to develop a comprehensive interagency \u201cStrategy to Reduce Methane Emissions.\u201d The Strategy, released on March 28, 2014, committed to steps to cut methane emissions by 40%-45% from 2012 levels by 2025 through both voluntary actions and agency rulemaking. It also outlined the Administration\u2019s efforts to improve the measurement and assessment of these emissions.\nPerspectives on the Strategy\nSome stakeholders, including many in the affected sectors (i.e., agriculture, fossil energy, and waste management), have raised concerns over federal proposals requiring more stringent controls. They argue that further regulation of methane emissions would not provide cost-effective health and environmental benefits. Some industries contend that they are already doing everything feasible to capture and reuse methane emissions (for requisite safety and economic reasons) and that state and local authorities\u2014who share a closer understanding of the industries\u2019 specific circumstances\u2014are best equipped to oversee and enforce emission reduction efforts within their jurisdictions.\nOther stakeholders, including many health and environmental advocates, contend that the Strategy and its proposed rulemakings fall short. They argue that methane emissions can jeopardize worker safety, lead to ground-level ozone formation (commonly referred to as \u201csmog\u201d), and act as a potent GHG. Recent events in the United States (e.g., the rise in domestic oil and natural gas production, the encroachment of domestic oil and natural gas production on new or more populated areas, and the revitalization of the petrochemical manufacturing sector) have led these stakeholders to suggest the need for more enforceable standards. Likewise, they estimate that the Obama Administration\u2019s recent GHG reduction targets, offered under the U.S. commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, would be unattainable without further controls.\nThe Role of Methane\nBehind it all is methane\u2014the world\u2019s simplest hydrocarbon and the primary component of natural gas. It is released into the atmosphere by both natural sources (such as wetlands and wildfires) and human activities (such as oil and natural gas systems, coal mines, landfills, and the raising of livestock). When captured, methane can be used as either a fuel or a chemical feedstock, with many advantages over other fossil fuels (e.g., it is more versatile and less polluting). Its dual nature as both a pollutant and a commodity makes efforts to control emissions potentially beneficial to both the environment and the economy.\nFor these reasons, as far back as the 1970s, the federal government has sought policies to help reduce, capture, and reuse methane emissions. Whether strategies to control emissions are effective and cost-efficient for a given industry may depend upon a number of factors, including the nature and extent of the emissions, the technology available for capture, and the market price for the recovered products. In this way, the cost-benefit considerations are similar to those of energy efficiency efforts, wherein high up-front investments and other market barriers, if confronted by producers, may be offset over time. \nRecent federal policies have included a variety of funding programs for research and technology development as well as voluntary programs and tax incentives for industry. Historically, methane emissions were addressed directly by two federal rules: one on new municipal landfills and another on federal oil and gas leases. Since the Strategy\u2019s release, the Administration has proposed and finalized several additional rules\u2014on oil and natural gas systems, coal mines, and municipal landfills. These rulemakings\u2014as well as a variety of legislative efforts in Congress\u2014attest to the continued interest in an appropriate policy response to the issue of methane emissions.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R43860", "sha1": "68cd869eaff201a0bebf089fafaace51cca1a839", "filename": "files/20160601_R43860_68cd869eaff201a0bebf089fafaace51cca1a839.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R43860", "sha1": "dd02d0d5867c80a333bda5a8d15295ed1c79cb28", "filename": "files/20160601_R43860_dd02d0d5867c80a333bda5a8d15295ed1c79cb28.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 449385, "date": "2016-02-04", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T17:17:59.558806", "title": "Methane: An Introduction to Emission Sources and Reduction Strategies", "summary": "The Obama Administration\u2019s Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions \nOn June 25, 2013, President Obama announced a national \u201cClimate Action Plan\u201d (CAP) to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs), as well as to encourage adaptation to expected climate change. One of the more significant initiatives within the CAP focused on the control of methane emissions, a potent short-lived climate pollutant. It called for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Interior, Labor, and Transportation to develop a comprehensive interagency \u201cStrategy to Reduce Methane Emissions.\u201d The Strategy, released on March 28, 2014, committed to steps to cut methane emissions by 40%-45% from 2012 levels by 2025 through both voluntary actions and agency rulemaking. It also outlined the Administration\u2019s efforts to improve the measurement and assessment of these emissions.\nPerspectives on the Strategy\nMany of the affected industries (including some in the agriculture, fossil energy, and waste management sectors) have raised concerns over federal proposals requiring more stringent controls. They argue that further regulation of emissions would be either insupportable from an economic standpoint or ineffective at providing significant health and environmental benefits. Some industry stakeholders contend that they are already doing everything feasible to capture and reuse methane emissions (for requisite safety and economic reasons) and that state and local authorities\u2014who share a closer understanding of the industries\u2019 specific circumstances\u2014are best equipped to oversee and enforce emission reduction efforts within their jurisdictions. \nHealth and environmental advocates, however, contend that the Strategy and its proposed rulemakings fall short. They argue that methane emissions can jeopardize worker safety, lead to ground-level ozone formation (commonly referred to as \u201csmog\u201d), and act as a potent GHG. Recent events in the United States (e.g., the rise in domestic oil and natural gas production, the encroachment of domestic oil and natural gas production on new or more populated areas, and the revitalization of the petrochemical manufacturing sector) have led these stakeholders to suggest the need for more enforceable standards. \nThe Role of Methane\nBehind it all is methane\u2014the world\u2019s simplest hydrocarbon and the primary component of natural gas. It is released into the atmosphere by both natural sources (such as wetlands and wildfires) and human activities (such as oil and natural gas systems, coal mines, landfills, and the raising of livestock). When captured, methane can be used as either a fuel or a chemical feedstock, with many advantages over other fossil fuels. (E.g., it is more versatile and less polluting and provides energy security benefits.) Its dual nature as both a pollutant and a commodity makes efforts to control emissions potentially beneficial to both the environment and the economy.\nFor these reasons, as far back as the 1970s, the federal government has sought policies to help reduce, capture, and reuse methane emissions. Whether strategies to control emissions are effective and cost-efficient for a given industry may depend upon a number of factors, including the nature and extent of the emissions, the technology available for capture, and the market price for the recovered products. In this way, the cost-benefit considerations are similar to those of energy efficiency efforts, wherein high up-front investments and other market barriers, if confronted by producers, may be offset over time. Recent federal policies have included a variety of funding programs for research and technology development as well as voluntary programs and tax incentives for industry. Currently, methane emissions are addressed directly by two federal rules: one on new municipal landfills and another on federal oil and gas leases. Since the Strategy\u2019s release, the Administration has proposed several additional rules\u2014on oil and natural gas systems, coal mines, and municipal landfills. These proposals\u2014as well as a variety of legislative efforts in Congress\u2014attest to the continued interest in an appropriate policy response to the issue of methane emissions.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R43860", "sha1": "8a113bb18231d232b3eecf74fe11aca557146e1d", "filename": "files/20160204_R43860_8a113bb18231d232b3eecf74fe11aca557146e1d.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R43860", "sha1": "995a2be4ef2572bfb56b9de8e48eeed67f4a6246", "filename": "files/20160204_R43860_995a2be4ef2572bfb56b9de8e48eeed67f4a6246.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc814280/", "id": "R43860_2015Oct01", "date": "2015-10-01", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Methane: An Introduction to Emission Sources and Reduction Strategies", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20151001_R43860_0e586c86fdea92a2a9c270182cc43449115bad79.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20151001_R43860_0e586c86fdea92a2a9c270182cc43449115bad79.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc820656/", "id": "R43860_2015Jan14", "date": "2015-01-14", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Methane: An Introduction to Emission Sources and Reduction Strategies", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20150114_R43860_998c040bdec6c585a234b1c795398131d1a6581a.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20150114_R43860_998c040bdec6c585a234b1c795398131d1a6581a.html" } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [ "Agricultural Policy", "Energy Policy", "Environmental Policy" ] }