Court Nixes Obama Methane Rule for Oil, Gas on Public Lands (2)

The Bureau of Land Management’s Obama-era effort to cut methane emissions on public lands exceeded the agency’s authority, a federal court ruled Thursday.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming struck down the 2016 rule, saying the bureau “exceeded its statutory authority and acted arbitrarily in promulgating the new regulations.”

“The Trump Administration will continue to advance policies that create more American jobs, protect the safety of American workers and unleash our domestic energy potential in responsible ways,” Interior Department spokesman Nicholas Goodwin said in an email, calling the Obama-era rule “job-crushing” government overreach. The Bureau of Land ...