US rule would limit methane leaks from public lands drilling

By MATTHEW DALY
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Interior Department has proposed rules to limit methane leaks from oil and gas drilling on public lands. It’s the latest action by the Biden administration to crack down on emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming. The proposal Monday by Interior’s Bureau of Land Management would tighten limits on gas flaring on federal land and require energy companies to better detect methane leaks. The actions follow a methane-reduction plan announced by President Joe Biden earlier this month. The plan targets the oil and gas industry for its role in global warming even as the president has pressed energy producers for more oil drilling.