"A federal court will not immediately revive Obama-era restrictions on methane emissions from the oil and gas industry.
In a split ruling, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last night declined a bid from California, New Mexico and environmental groups to fully reinstate the Bureau of Land Management's 2016 methane rule for public and tribal lands.
But the ruling was a mixed bag, as the three-judge panel also rebuffed an effort by the oil and gas industry and other states to derail the rule supporters' broader legal fight.
The result is that the Obama administration's regulation — designed to reduce waste of methane, a potent greenhouse gas — will remain hobbled while the 10th Circuit reviews additional arguments over whether it should ultimately take full effect. Some provisions are in force already, but other key parts were frozen by a Wyoming district court in April (see timeline)."
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