EPA let oil companies burn off methane gas for 72 hours without penalty under a new rule

The Trump administration estimates $208 million in annual savings for the oil and gas sector, or $2.5 billion over 15 years, from the 📖flaring window extension. Communities near oil and gas 📖flaring operations bear the public health costs. Fenceline communities in the Permian Basin report asthma hospitalization rates 2.8 times higher than state averages, according to Environmental Defense Fund data. The EPA identifies 47 low-income communities of color within two miles of active oil and gas 📖flaring in Texas. In 2017, 📖flaring and venting resulted in 73,000 child asthma exacerbations and $7.4 billion in health damages, according to EDF analysis, with the burden concentrated in low-income communities and communities of color.

The Trump administration estimates for the oil and gas sector, or . This is the cost companies avoid by not investing in pollution controls. The cost doesn't disappear. It transfers. . . . Zeldin's rule shifts the bill from industry to the people breathing the air.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan finalized the original methane rule on . It was the first federal rule to regulate methane emissions from existing oil and gas operations nationwide. The rule's mechanism was simple: detect leaks, repair them within 24 hours, or shut down the well. , equivalent to removing the emissions impact of . EPA also projected .

. Over 100 years, it's . The climate difference matters: methane breaks down in about while CO2 persists for centuries. Cutting methane now produces measurable climate effects in our lifetimes. When companies flare natural gas instead of capturing it, they release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and benzene, a carcinogen. , with disproportionate burden on low-income communities and communities of color.

Zeldin's rule extends 📖flaring time from 24 to 72 hours. That's three times longer. For an operator processing one million barrels of oil daily, with associated natural gas 📖flaring, into the air instead of capturing it. A per facility. A shutdown costs production revenue. With 72 hours instead of 24, most operators choose 📖flaring. They avoid the capital investment. Fenceline residents breathe more methane and VOCs as a result.

The rule includes an . Operators can flare beyond 72 hours for extreme weather, supply chain disruptions, equipment failures, or staffing shortages. There is no defined time limit. There is no requirement for EPA pre-approval. There is no requirement for advance notification. This effectively creates an unlimited 📖flaring exemption. Environmental Defense Fund senior attorney Tomás Carbonell said the exception .

A separate EPA interim final rule issued in July 2025 delayed implementation of the Biden rule for 18 months. That delay alone is projected to result in , plus . . The 18-month delay extends the timeline for these health protections, meaning additional years of children experiencing respiratory attacks, wheezing, and emergency room visits.

The April 4 methane rule change is one of between January and April 2026. They include Biden-era vehicle emission standards, power plant carbon limits, and the 📖endangerment finding itself. Zeldin announced in March 2026 that EPA would that established greenhouse gases as a threat to public health. That finding has been under the 📖Clean Air Act since 2009. At least . The April 4 methane rollback gives those same challengers a second legal target.