CALIFORNIA/ENERGY/EPA/OBAMA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “California and 12 other states, plus Chicago, are asking the Trump administration to stop rolling back an Obama rule requiring oil and gas companies to conduct frequent checks for methane leaks and upgrade technology to prevent the gas from escaping. They argue the move would constitute a direct violation of the federal Clean Air Act. Attorney General Xavier Becerra said Tuesday [12-18-18] that he and his counterparts submitted a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asking the administration to change course. The Trump administration has said it was rescinding methane rules to eliminate “red tape,” according to The New York Times. Methane accounts for about 10 percent of total emissions in the atmosphere, according to EPA data, but it is considered far more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat. In California, the largest emitter of methane is the agricultural sector, which accounts for 57 percent, according to the state Air Resources Board. Landfills comprise 22 percent of methane emissions, followed by oil and gas production at 16 percent.”
–Kevin Yamamura, “California v. Trump,” Politico, December 19, 2018 8:30 am