After passing regulations to restrict venting and flaring to reduce methane emissions earlier this year, New Mexico lawmakers are considering additional regulations to reduce methane pollution. The state’s Environmental Improvement Board are considering rules that would impose minimum requirements for operators to calculate their emissions and have them certified by an engineer, in addition to finding and fixing leaks more rapidly. The board has until April 25th to take a vote. The new rules are the result of two years of work by various stakeholders, including oil and gas operators, land owners, environmentalists, and more. Southern New Mexico is home to part of the Permian Basin, one of the world’s most important oil fields, and representatives from that part of the state caution that strict rules and regulations could interfere with America’s drive toward energy independence. In recent years, New Mexico has received over $2 billion in annual revenue from the oil and gas industry.
