EPA Official in Charge of Methane Regs Wrote Oil Industry Argument Against Them
6 days ago
- #Regulatory capture
- #Methane emissions
- #EPA regulations
- Aaron Szabo, a former oil and gas lobbyist, is now an EPA assistant administrator leading efforts to weaken methane rules, having anonymously authored a 2022 industry letter opposing such regulations.
- Internal documents reveal Szabo has been collaborating with oil industry groups, soliciting their input and specific regulatory language to dilute methane controls, which critics argue indicates regulatory capture.
- Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with the oil and gas sector as the largest U.S. industrial source; stricter Biden-era rules aimed to cut emissions by nearly 80%, but industry groups labeled them 'burdensome.'
- Under the Trump administration's energy agenda, Szabo's office is revising methane rules, delaying compliance deadlines and prioritizing industry-friendly flexibility, as highlighted in meetings and communications with groups like AXPC and API.
- Ethical concerns have been raised about Szabo's ties to industry, though the EPA defends his actions as standard public engagement, and he is acknowledged in Project 2025, a deregulatory blueprint for a potential second Trump term.