On May 22, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 2025 budget reconciliation bill which includes the defunding, delay, and weakening of the Methane Emissions Reduction Program and Waste Emissions Charge (also known as the methane polluter fee). In response, Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, issued the following statement:
“These rollbacks jeopardize the health and safety of millions of Americans, especially communities living and working near oil and gas extraction sites, and Latino and other underrepresented communities already overburdened by methane and air pollution.
“Currently, over 10.1 million people in the United States, including 645,400 children under the age of five, live within a half-mile of active oil and gas production, breathing air polluted with methane and its co-pollutants. Communities of color are most impacted. Over 56 million Latinos live and work near air-polluting facilities and industrial corridors, including oil and gas operations. In regions like Southern California, Southwest Texas, and Northwest New Mexico, where large Latino populations reside, methane and co-pollutant exposure have been linked to increased risks of asthma, cancer, and cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses.
“The Waste Emissions Charge was created as part of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 to ensure oil and gas operators, who are the largest industrial source of methane pollution, comply with federal methane standards. It applies to facilities emitting 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually if those companies fail to comply with federal standards. It is projected to reduce 1.2 million metric tons of methane, 170,000 metric tons of volatile organic compounds, and 6,000 metric tons of hazardous air pollutants between 2024 and 2035. These reductions help keep more of this toxic gas out of the atmosphere, which would benefit the health of thousands of people across the nation and the economy.
“70 percent of Americans support the Waste Emissions Charge. Revising the provisions that weaken methane safeguards and harm our communities’ health is essential to protecting future generations. We urge the U.S Senate to oppose the reconciliation bill and protect the integrity of the Methane Emissions Reduction Program.”
Provisions in the bill affecting methane reduction efforts include the repeal of funding for the Methane Emissions Reduction Program, a 10-year delay in the implementation of the Waste Emissions Charge, and the removal of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ability to enforce penalties on excessive methane emissions.
