Background: On Wednesday, October 7th, 2026, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced at a closed-door industry event in New Mexico that the Trump administration would make significant rollbacks to national methane rules, a move that would weaken protections, exacerbate harms from dangerous air pollution for communities living closest to oil and gas production, and derail a major initiative to cut U.S. climate pollution.
The 2024 Methane Rule was developed with significant input from the public, community leaders and advocates, the oil and gas industry, investors, health experts, and members of Congress. Various oil and gas producing states in the U.S. have already implemented similar or more stringent measures to cut methane pollution. The European Union also recognizes the importance of drastically reducing fossil fuel methane emissions, which is why in 2024 they approved a landmark Methane Regulation covering both domestic production and imports.
Statement from Earthworks Policy Director Lauren Pagel:
“By rolling back commonsense methane standards, the Trump administration has once again chosen polluters over people, sacrificing the health of communities living next to extraction and our climate to make even more money for fossil fuel billionaires.
“While families struggle with the high cost of living, everything Trump and his oil and gas company cronies do makes life harder for everyday people — including making the air we breathe dirtier.
“The Trump administration is delivering dirtier air, more pollution, and greater risks for communities in order to boost Big Oil’s profits. It’s time for states to step up and do what the White House won’t: put people first, hold polluters accountable, and cut methane pollution to protect health and climate.”
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Earthworks continues to combine new satellite technologies for detecting oil and gas methane with our optical gas imaging Field Investigation program in order to demonstrate the failures of the oil and gas industry to self-police and curb its own methane pollution harm.