The EPA published a final rule this week, rolling back the Obama-era policy to require the petroleum industry to limit methane emissions from oil and natural gas exaction. The EPA justified the cancellation of the rules, saying methane emissions are already regulated under other EPA rules and that rollback of the rule would provide regulatory simplicity and predictability for the petroleum industry. Despite these claims, several large petroleum companies urged the Administration to retain the methane rules.

Once the final rules were published, several states and environmental organizations filed suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia to block the Trump Administration policy.  The Court granted a temporary stay, preventing the Administration from moving forward with rescinding the Obama rules.  While the stay is temporary and does not address the underlying merits of the case, it does provide a hopeful sign that the court will closely review the methane rule rollback.