From irresponsibly low taxation, to direct tax subsidies, to favorable zoning and much more, many state lawmakers relentlessly have pandered to the natural gas industry.

Now, Republicans on the state House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee have executed a new bit of pandering to the industry that could cost Pennsylvania millions of dollars in federal highway funding.

To comply with federal standards, the state Department of Environmental Protection was about to seek final approval of a new rule to regulate methane emissions. But the committee sent a disapproval letter to the agency, prompting the DEP to withdraw the regulation.

Methane, the principal component of natural gas, enters the atmosphere in much smaller quantities than carbon dioxide, but is more efficient at trapping heat in the atmosphere. And, because it does not last as long as CO2, eliminating new methane emissions has been targeted as the best way to quickly reduce atmospheric warming.

The new rule would require leak searches four times a year and upgrade equipment to detect and eliminate methane leaks from pumps, compressors, tanks, pipelines and so on.

DEP has estimated that the rule would reduce emissions of smog-inducing volatile organic compounds by nearly 12,000 tons per year and methane emissions by about 214,000 tons per year.

Pennsylvania already is three years late in implementing the controls. If it does not implement the final regulation by June 16, the Environmental Protection Agency could require other polluters to offset the methane pollution by doubling their own emission reductions. About six months after that, the federal government could begin withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in highway funds.

Lawmakers claim the rule is suspect because it applies the same standards to new deep wells and to older wells, whereas state law requires separate regulation of new and older wells.

The technology to meet the standards exists, and the benefits of reduced emissions are well-established. Lawmakers should withdraw the objection and allow the DEP to proceed.

— The Citizens’ Voice, Wilkes-Barre via TNS