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DEP defends using federal methane rule by reference, highlights $215M well‑plugging and new measurement plans
Summary
DEP officials told the House Environmental Committee they are implementing EPA’s 2024 methane framework through a general permit that incorporates federal rules by reference while scaling up well‑plugging funded largely by $215 million in IIJA grants and building a Pennsylvania methane measurement program.
Chair Vitale convened a public hearing on methane emissions from the oil and gas industry where Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection witnesses outlined the agency's immediate plan and long‑term priorities.
Seth Palepko, head of DEP's oil and gas program, said DEP is focusing on scope‑1 emissions under state oversight and described where methane is released across drilling, completion and production. He told the committee DEP inspectors routinely use sensitive instruments and require operators to submit quarterly monitoring and annual mechanical‑integrity data. Palepko said the agency has used roughly $215,000,000 in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding to decommission abandoned wells, and that, as of the testimony draft date, DEP had plugged 381 wells…
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