Groups Petition EPA To Remove Ethane, Methane From Emissions Exempt List

"Hundreds of environmental groups on Tuesday submitted a petition calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take action to curtail ethane and methane emissions responsible for smog.

In a statement Tuesday, the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the groups petitioning, noted that despite ethane and methane’s contributions to smog, they are exempt from emissions limits based on a 1977 understanding of their contributions.

The agency’s official definition of “volatile organic compounds” exempts some compounds by classifying them as “negligibly reactive.”"

Zack Budryk reports for The Hill April 6, 2021.