FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2026
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Coalition warns weakened standards mean more toxic air pollution for Texans living near drilling, processing, and refining sites
TEXAS – The EPA today announced its planned rollback of federal methane pollution protections, a move that threatens to expose millions of Texans to more waste from oil and gas operations and put public health at greater risk.
The Texas Methane Network, a coalition of health, faith, labor, and community voices working for cleaner air across Texas, condemned the rollback and warned that weakening federal safeguards will make it harder to hold oil and gas companies accountable for methane and other harmful air pollution.
Oil and gas air pollution is estimated to have caused 1,300 premature deaths in Texas in a single year, or more than three Texans every day. It’s also linked to more asthma attacks and higher rates of premature birth, with children, pregnant women, and seniors at greatest risk. An estimated 5.3 million Texans live within half a mile of an active oil or gas site.
“Texans should not have to choose between good jobs and clean air, or between an energy economy and the health of their children. Weakening these safeguards means more pollution, more health risks, and less accountability for the companies responsible. The EPA should be protecting people, not the corporations.” – Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX-16)
“In Tarrant County alone, one million people live less than half a mile from gas wells, and 50,000 Arlington school children attend public schools with five or more polluting multi-well drill sites within two miles of their campus. The EPA has a duty to protect public health, not weaken the standards that keep our air clean.” – Ranjana Bhandari, Executive Director, Liveable Arlington
A small number of companies benefit when oversight is weak, while nearby families bear the health and financial costs. In 2019 alone, Texas allowed more than $1.7 billion worth of natural gas to be flared or leaked instead of captured and sold. Nationally, in just the first year after EPA stopped enforcing methane regulations, the oil and gas industry leaked, vented, or flared $4.2 billion worth of natural gas – enough to meet the needs of nearly 22 million households.
“Texans who live near oil and gas facilities deserve clean air and safe communities. That should be the bare minimum.
Methane pollution doesn’t stay behind a fence. It gets into the air our families breathe every day. And when you weaken the rules on flaring and emissions monitoring, you’re giving oil and gas companies more room to police themselves and putting communities at greater risk.
Texas can be an energy leader and protect the people who live here. We should be holding polluters accountable and making sure the folks living closest to these facilities aren’t the ones paying the price.” – Rep. Christian Menefee (TX-18)
Methane also traps more than 80 times as much heat as carbon dioxide, worsening the extreme heat and drought Texas communities already face. The fixes exist – effective leak detection and repair, meaningful flaring limits, and consistent enforcement by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Railroad Commission.
The Texas Methane Network is calling on the EPA to drop the proposal and urging Texans to make their voices heard by participating in the public comment period and contacting their elected officials.
Editor’s note: Texas Methane Network members, including health professionals, faith leaders, and residents living near oil and gas sites, are available for in-person and virtual interviews in Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Laredo, and other communities. To schedule, contact [email protected].
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