Methane Emissions Research Act of 2022
This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a methane research pilot study to quantify methane emissions from infrastructure used for the production, gathering and boosting, processing, transmission, and storage of oil and natural gas in the United States.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8991 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8991
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to
conduct a measurement-based national methane research pilot study to
quantify methane emissions from certain oil and gas infrastructure, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 28, 2022
Ms. Johnson of Texas (for herself, Ms. Lofgren, Ms. Bonamici, Ms.
Stevens, and Ms. Sherrill) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to
conduct a measurement-based national methane research pilot study to
quantify methane emissions from certain oil and gas infrastructure, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Methane Emissions Research Act of
2022''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL METHANE RESEARCH PILOT STUDY.
(a) In General.--The Administrator, in consultation with the
Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, the Administrator of the Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Director of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, and the heads of other Federal
agencies as appropriate, shall conduct a measurement-based national
methane research pilot study (in this section referred to as the
``pilot study'') to quantify methane emissions from covered oil and gas
infrastructure. The Administrator shall employ a technology or suite of
technologies for methane emissions measurement, research, and analysis.
To the extent practicable, the Administrator shall consider utilizing
innovative technologies for methane emissions measurement and
quantification.
(b) Requirements.--The pilot study shall--
(1) encompass two regions, which shall be determined by the
Administrator;
(2) identify areas consisting primarily of covered oil and
gas infrastructure within each such region;
(3) develop and implement methodologies and procedures for
a measurement-based evaluation of methane emissions from such
infrastructure;
(4) assess diverse approaches to the characterization of
methane emissions from such infrastructure; and
(5) consult with Federal, State, local, academic,
nonprofit, and private sector entities, as appropriate.
(c) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress, and make publicly available, a
report assessing the results of the pilot study. The report shall
include the following:
(1) An overview of the findings of the pilot study
pertaining to the quantification and characterization of
methane emissions from covered oil and gas infrastructure.
(2) An analysis of how the pilot study could support and
inform the development and implementation of a national methane
census study (in this section referred to as the ``methane
census''), to be undertaken on a recurring basis and encompass
all seven regions. Such analysis shall also examine the
following:
(A) The feasibility of evaluating the amount of
methane emissions from covered oil and gas
infrastructure by region, industry segment, type of
emission source, or any other criterion, as a component
of the methane census.
(B) The necessary scope of measurement-based
activities within regions in order to carry out the
methane census.
(C) Any onshore or offshore gaps within the scope
of the pilot study that could merit inclusion as a part
of the methane census.
(D) The estimated budget that would be required to
oversee the methane census.
(E) Any other relevant topic, as determined by the
Administrator.
(3) An analysis of how the measurement-based evaluation of
methane emissions from covered oil and gas infrastructure, as
completed by the pilot study or contemplated for the methane
census, could support efforts to reconcile data generated by
top-down methods and bottom-up methods with respect to the
Environmental Protection Agency's Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse
Gas Emissions and Sinks. Such analysis shall also examine the
following:
(A) How methane emissions data from the pilot study
or methane census could be utilized as a part of a
reconciliation process to better understand and improve
data estimates from both top-down methods and bottom-up
methods.
(B) How methane emissions data from the pilot study
or methane census could identify and help to explore
any significant discrepancies between top-down methods
and bottom-up methods for methane emissions from
covered oil and gas infrastructure.
(C) Any other relevant topic, as determined by the
Administrator.
(4) A description of any research or technology gaps that
were identified during the course of the pilot study and could
merit additional study to support the improvement of methane
emissions measurement and quantification.
(5) A description of the methodology of the pilot study,
which, to the greatest extent possible and consistent with
appropriate protections for confidential business information
and intellectual property, shall include a discussion of the
following:
(A) Study design.
(B) Measurement techniques.
(C) Efforts to account for additional significant
sources of methane emissions within a region.
(D) Assumptions and uncertainties in the results of
the pilot study.
(d) Methane Emissions Data Interoperability.--The Administrator, to
the greatest extent possible, shall ensure that all data collected as
part of the pilot study adheres to data and metadata standards to
support the public findability, accessibility, interoperability, and
reusability of such data. The Administrator shall consult with the
heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, to--
(1) facilitate effective data sharing regarding methane
emissions measurement and quantification data; and
(2) ensure that methane emissions measurement and
quantification data gathered by such other Federal agencies can
be converted to a format that is consistent with the
methodologies and procedures of the pilot study.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000, to remain available
until expended.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on the Environment and Public Works of the
Senate.
(3) Covered oil and gas infrastructure.--The term ``covered
oil and gas infrastructure'' means the infrastructure used for
the production, gathering and boosting, processing,
transmission, and storage of oil and natural gas in the United
States. Such term does not include oil and gas distribution
infrastructure.
(4) Region.--The term ``region'' means any of the seven oil
and gas regions evaluated by the U.S. Energy Information
Administration in its July 2022 Drilling Productivity Report.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line