EPA to Weaken Rules on Methane Pollution From “Stripper Wells” — ProPublica
ProPublica — 2026-09-11 04:00:00 — www.propublica.org
President Donald Trump’s administration is moving to drastically weaken environmental regulations on oil and gas wells that emit large amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The Environmental Protection Agency’s draft rule, currently under White House review, proposes to loosen requirements for leak inspections and equipment upgrades at over 700,000 low-producing “stripper wells.” These wells, which are often old and poorly maintained, account for just 6% of U.S. oil and gas output but are responsible for about half of the industry’s methane pollution, according to studies cited in the draft.
The EPA’s justification for the rollback is that the cost of compliance would force these wells to close, calling such an outcome “unreasonable.” However, the agency’s own figures, as well as industry estimates, show that shutting down these wells would reduce U.S. oil and gas production by only 0.4%. Despite this minimal impact on energy supply, the proposed changes are expected to save oil and gas companies $42 billion through 2050. An internal memo frames the move as a way to “unleash” American energy—one of Trump’s signature slogans.
Environmental advocates dispute the administration’s rationale, arguing that deregulating stripper wells will not meaningfully increase energy output but will significantly worsen climate pollution. Darin Schroeder of the Clean Air Task Force stated, “This is not about energy dominance. It’s about padding the pockets of oil and gas operators and saddling society with the costs.”
The proposed rule is the result of lobbying by industry groups, including the Independent Petroleum Association of America and the National Stripper Well Association. The administration’s actions follow significant donations from oil billionaire Jeffery Hildebrand, whose company, Hilcorp, specializes in acquiring old stripper wells. After Hildebrand became a major Trump donor, Trump appointed a former Hilcorp lobbyist, Aaron Szabo, to a top EPA position overseeing the rollback of methane regulations.
The draft rule also aligns with recommendations from Project 2025, a deregulatory roadmap for the administration, which calls for eliminating an EPA program that tracks and requires responses to “super-emitter” methane events. Trump’s EPA is now moving to end this program as well.
Notably, the EPA under Trump broke with precedent by failing to include calculations of the environmental and health impacts of the proposed rule. In contrast, the Biden administration’s rules—now being rolled back—were projected to cut methane pollution by 80% and deliver over $7 billion a year in climate, health, and energy benefits.
In summary, the Trump administration’s rollback of methane regulations is being justified as a move to “unleash” American energy, despite evidence that the change will have little effect on energy production but will significantly increase methane pollution and benefit oil and gas companies financially. The administration has not provided a full accounting of the public health and environmental costs, leaving the public with less protection against one of the most potent drivers of climate change.
Source: https://www.propublica.org/article/methane-gas-epa-proposal-stripper-wells