Court Blocks Methane Emissions Rule In Wyoming

In the battle against methane emissions, a federal judge temporarily halted the enforcement of a Biden-Harris administration rule.

The rule, not passed by Congress but written by Biden's bureaucrats, was designed to reduce methane emissions and minimize natural gas waste on federal lands.

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor issued a preliminary injunction.

It temporarily blocks the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from enforcing the new rule while the case is heard in court.

North Dakota, Montana, Texas, Wyoming, and Utah brought the case to court.

The states argue that the federal rule constitutes an overreach of federal authority, infringing upon state rights.

The Biden-Harris administration has made it part of its climate agenda.

One lawyer for the states argues that the state should win:

 “on the merits of their claim, the 2024 Rule is arbitrary and capricious” and pointed out that various aspects of the rule are “inadequately explained” and “contradictory,”

This regulation impacts more than just the states involved. It covers federal and tribal territories.

The states argue that the BLM lacks the authority for air quality control, a power reserved for the Environmental Protection Agency and the states by the Clean Air Act.

North Dakota argued that the rule infringed on state sovereignty and would diminish state revenue from oil and gas production.

This is a temporary victory.

It is common for judges to put such rules on hold until the case is decided in court.

This case is one of many that Western states have brought against the Biden/Harris administration's rule-making procedures regarding energy.