New York’s methane-reduction plan includes 25 steps that seek to reduce methane emissions from the landfill, oil and gas, and agricultural sectors across the state. Gov. Andrew Cuomo released the plan on May 17. The governor wants New York to implement the actions by 2020 as part of the state’s strategy to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions […]
New York’s methane-reduction plan includes 25 steps that seek to reduce methane emissions from the landfill, oil and gas, and agricultural sectors across the state.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo released the plan on May 17.
The governor wants New York to implement the actions by 2020 as part of the state’s strategy to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050, from 1990 levels, Cuomo’s office said.
The New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation, Agriculture and Markets, Public Service, and the Energy Research and Development Authority, in conjunction with the New York State Soil & Water Conservation Committee, will implement the plan.
“With this action, New York will continue to shrink our carbon footprint by reducing emissions that contribute to climate change,” Cuomo said in a news release.
About the plan
The methane-reduction plan will address many sources of methane emissions including the pursuit of methane reductions at both active and inactive landfills.
Cuomo also wants to limit methane emissions from new and existing oil and gas wells.
In addition, the plan would support energy production or capture and combustion of methane gas at farms and landfills.
It would also develop methane-reduction criteria in state-funded programs for agriculture.
The plan would also deploy methane-detection systems to enhance detection of leaks in residential areas and utilize incentive programs for addressing methane leakage in utility and customer-owned pipelines that prioritize safety and climate change mitigation.
Methane is second only to carbon dioxide in its contribution to climate change, Cuomo’s office said. Representing almost 10 percent of the state’s annual greenhouse-gas emissions, methane reduction is a “key piece” of New York’s policies to address the “risks” from climate change, it added.
The plan seeks to lower methane emissions; establish “more robust” monitoring methods so that methane sources can be fully documented; increase support and information sharing among agencies and partners; and seek stakeholder involvement to “enhance” current regulatory and funding efforts.
Federal activity
The state’s methane-reduction plan comes at a time when federal environmental regulators are taking a different approach, taking steps to reverse regulations set up by the previous administration.
In recent weeks, the federal government has moved to “abandon” three major efforts to address methane pollution, Cuomo’s office said.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on March 2 dropped its development of a regulatory approach to reduce methane emissions from existing oil and gas wells. EPA has also indicated that the agency is reconsidering its 2016 standards limiting emissions from new oil and gas development.
In addition, the federal government is seeking to repeal or “weaken” U.S. Department of Interior rules to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas projects on federal lands,
Cuomo’s office said.