Deal reached in methane pollution dispute

The U.S. government has reached an agreement to end a dispute over greenhouse gas emissions from federal oil and gas leases in Montana with only modest changes to current practices. The deal was filed in federal court June 17 by attorneys for the Bureau of Land Management and three environmental groups that had sued to block drilling - The Montana Environmental Information Center, WildEarth Guardians and Earthworks’ Oil and Gas Accountability Project.

The groups wanted the government to force companies to reduce emissions of methane from oil and gas fields. Under the June 17 agreement, federal officials must consider such steps for two dozen federal leases in eastern Montana, but are not compelled to adopt them.

Separately, the Obama administration in March proposed new regulations to reduce methane pollution nationwide.

Attorney Erik Schlenker-Goodrich with the Western Environmental Law Center says the administration’s proposal offered a better way to address the issue than continuing with the lawsuit against the BLM.

BLM spokesman Al Nash referred questions to the Department of Justice, which did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. It gets into the atmosphere when pipelines leak and when companies vent or flare excess natural gas from oil production.

The proposed regulations would require energy producers to find and repair leaks at oil and gas wells and capture gas that escapes from wells.

- Associated Press