WASHINGTON, August 2, 2017 - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has ordered EPA to enforce an Obama administration methane rule that had been challenged by President Donald Trump. A three-judge panel of the same court ruled last month that the EPA unlawfully delayed implementation of the rule, which requires limits on methane emissions in the oil and natural gas drilling industry and orders drillers to identify and repair methane leaks. The Trump administration has not asked the full 11-judge court to rehear the case, which is something of a standard practice when appealing a ruling from a three-judge panel. Industry groups and states opposed to the regulation, however, have asked for a full-court review, which is under consideration by the court. In the earlier ruling, the judges said EPA has the right to reverse the methane regulations, but would have to undertake a new rule-making process to undo the Obama administration rule. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt sought a two-year pause on the new methane rule so the agency could "look broadly" at regulations and review their impact. An EPA spokesperson said the agency would have no comment on the latest court order. “We don’t comment on pending litigation,” the spokesperson said.
#30
