New Mexico crafting methane emission rules

Associated Press

New Mexico stands to have some of the most expansive rules for addressing methane and other emissions from the oil and gas industry after many meetings with industry experts and environmentalists, state officials said July 21.

Policymakers with New Mexico’s energy and environment agencies say they have combined what has worked well in other states with some new ideas to craft a set of regulations that will mandate significant emissions reductions by the end of 2026.

The proposed regulations appear to offer a higher level of reduction than in other states and would apply more broadly to existing and new sources, officials said during a briefing on the proposal.

The public has time to comment before regulators with the Environment Department and the state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department hammer out the final rules.

Proposed rules by the energy agency deal with waste due to venting and flaring in oilfields. The draft rules released by the environment department target oil and natural gas equipment that emit volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides. Officials say regulating these emissions also will result in reducing methane emissions.

There also are incentives for companies to find and fix leaks within their systems, and the state would be able to collect revenues on vented and flared gas, which could benefit public schools to the tune of millions of dollars a year.

Operators would need to reduce their waste by a fixed amount every year to achieve an ultimate gas capture rate of 98% by December 2026. There would be fewer requirements for those with less potential for emitting pollution, while operators with the greatest emissions would face greater scrutiny.

Environment Secretary James Kenney said his goal is to keep New Mexico’s ozone problem from getting worse and therefore avoid federal sanctions.

- Associated Press