WASHINGTON— Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) , ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, released the following statement after the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a ruling last night that blocked the Trump Bureau of Land Management attempt to eliminate methane waste and pollution rules:
“Methane is a greenhouse gas that super-pollutes our air and atmosphere and exacerbates the crisis of climate change. The Court’s ruling to block the Trump administration’s attempt to roll back commonsense safety standards is a welcome defense of the clean air standards protecting New Mexicans and Americans. Methane leaks and flares hurt the climate, waste publicly owned resources, and lead to toxic air emissions that jeopardize the health and well-being of children and our most vulnerable communities. New Mexicans deserve better than this Trump administration move that costs our state lost royalties and would mean even more hazardous air pollutants during a global pandemic and economic crisis.
“I led the effort to defeat the repeal of this rule on the Senate floor in 2017, and this decision only underscores the need to restore the original BLM rule and pass comprehensive legislation to prevent methane leaks into our atmosphere. That is why I’ve introduced an amendment to the pipeline safety bill that would require the best available technology to cut down on methane leaks from pipelines. I will continue to fight this administration’s attempts to weaken the bedrock environmental standards that keep communities safe and healthy, and will work to establish strong methane pollution standards going forward.”
Udall and U.S. Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) previously led a group of 51 lawmakers in filing an amicus brief last year to challenge the Trump administration’s rollback. In 2017, Udall led the successful effort in the Senate to defeat an attempt to overturn the rule using the Congressional Review Act.
