http://westernwire.net/north-dakota-lawmakers-push-for-senate-repeal-of-blm-methane-rule/Simon Lomax March 14, 2017
Two lawmakers from North Dakota, the second largest oil-producing state in the nation, are turning up the heat on the U.S. Senate to repeal a last-minute Obama administration regulation targeting energy development on federal lands. At the same time, a national pro-business group is calling on the Senate to act, launching a multi-media advertising campaign targeting North Dakota and five other states
U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) is demanding the Senate vote “as soon as possible” to repeal a U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rule targeting methane emissions from oil and gas development. The “venting and flaring” rule, finalized two months before President Barack Obama left office, has angered officials from across the West. A disapproval motion under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which would repeal the venting and flaring rule, passed the U.S. House more than five weeks ago and is now before the Senate.
(much more at the link above)
This issue is still alive and important to not just new oil drilling, but oil production from existing wells. Natural gas is a byproduct of oil drilling in this area, and worth a small fraction of the value of the oil produced. Still producers who would otherwise gather the wellhead gas and process it, have problems with Federal agencies delaying permit approval for projects including rights of way for gathering pipelines to gas processing facilities--so the BLM creates the problem it tries to 'solve'. States and industry have worked together to significantly reduce the amount of flared gas despite a huge increase in production.
The rule was one of those thrown in on the way out the door by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management).
Here is a fact sheet on the new rule:
https://www.backthebakken.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/BLM-Fact-sheet-final.pdf The rule will go into effect if the Congress doesn't throw it out. That part is past the House, and the Senate is close, vote wise.
The fact sheet only outlines the effects on North Dakota, but other states, especially ones where there are more Federal Lands will be affected if the rule goes into effect.
Please contact your senators in DC and have them vote to have this BLM rule thrown out.