CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Gov. Mark Gordon announced Friday that Wyoming has joined a number of states in suing the U.S. Department of Interior and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) over a new rule regulating methane waste produced by oil and natural gas industries.
In his announcement, Gordon stated that the rule known as the “methane waste prevention rule” undermines existing regulations in place in the state, and that it harms Wyoming’s oil and natural gas producers. Under the rule, companies are required to pay royalties for gas that is vented, flared or leaked from oil and gas operations.
“This rule is yet another example of the Biden Administration attempting to use rulemaking to undermine state authority and suffocate the oil and gas industry,” Governor Gordon said. “We will continue to defend Wyoming’s interests in court whenever they are under attack by the federal government.”
Wyoming joins North Dakota, Montana and Texas in the lawsuit, which was filed this week in the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota.
The Department of the Interior stated the rule was devised to “hold oil and gas companies accountable by requiring measures to avoid wasteful practices and find and fix leaks, while ensuring that American taxpayers and Tribal mineral owners are fairly compensated through royalty payments.”
Gordon pointed to the existence of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission as examples of bodies working to reduce emissions in the state. He contended that “the new rule conflicts with state regulations and in certain instances, creates less stringent standards.”
Read the full district court document here.
