BY DEVIN HENRY – 11/15/16 12:05 PM EST
Regulators have finalized a rule cracking down on methane leaks at natural gas drilling sites on federal land.
The rule, released Tuesday by the Interior Department, updates 30-year-old regulations on methane venting, flaring and leaks for drillers.
The rule will be implemented in phases, but in its full iteration it will require oil and gas companies to use new technologies to cut flaring in half, inspect their sites for leaks and replace old equipment that officials say releases too much methane into the air.
Under the rule, officials also have the power to require royalty payments on excess gas that producers flare off at drilling sites.
“This rule will benefit the American public and the environment,” Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Janice Schneider said in a statement.
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