U.S. to Unveil Plan to Curb Oil and Gas Sector Methane Soon: Sources

The Obama administration as soon as Wednesday will announce its plans for curbing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, which the United States must do to meet its 2020 target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, people familiar with the issue said Tuesday.

The government reaffirmed that goal last week at U.N. climate talks in Lima.

The Environmental Protection Agency said it would announce its administration-wide methane strategy by the end of the fall.  Administrator Gina McCarthy hinted recently that the agency will combine voluntary actions with some regulation, which would need to be finalized by 2016.

People familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the plans could come out as soon as Wednesday.

Methane emissions, the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions with 9 percent of output in 2012, are expected to rise.

The EPA may seek to address them by imposing curbs on methane leaking from oil and gas production, and by tightening standards for emissions from landfill and agriculture.

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