The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a rule to end a mandatory programme requiring 8,000 facilities to report their greenhouse gas emissions, citing the need to reduce 'bureaucratic red tape'. The agency argued that the data collection is 'not directly related to a potential regulation and has no material impact on improving human health and the environment'.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin described the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program as 'nothing more than bureaucratic red tape that does nothing to improve air quality'. The move follows a day-one executive order by Donald Trump aimed at removing barriers to boosting US energy production, particularly fossil fuels.
If finalised, the proposal would remove reporting obligations for most large facilities, all fuel and industrial gas suppliers, and CO2 injection sites. However, the agency will still require methane emissions data from large oil and gas operations subject to a waste emissions charge.
The Trump administration has also announced plans to withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement and to repeal the 'endangerment finding' that enabled the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and stationary sources. Additionally, steps are being taken to end key environmental databases and greenhouse gas-monitoring satellites.
