At an Oil and Gas Conference in Santa Fe, Lee Zeldin Announces EPA Will Propose Scrapping the Methane "Super Emitter" Program and Loosening Rules for Small Wells — "It Does Not Have to Be a Binary Choice" — While Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Warns of "More Pollution Drifting Into the Lungs of Families," Ben Ray Luján Says It Puts "Our Energy Security at Risk," and Gabe Vasquez Calls It "the Wrong Choice"
On Oct. 7, 2026, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin told the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association's annual conference in Santa Fe that the agency would soon propose weakening the 2024 methane standards for oil and gas operations. The plan would rescind the Super Emitter Program, which lets certified third parties report large methane leaks. It would also create separate, looser standards for marginal or "stripper" wells, about four of every five producing wells nationally, and revisit rules for gas from oil wells, allowing a return to flaring. Zeldin said the formal proposal would follow within days. EPA estimated the changes would save producers about $45 billion a year but had not published an analysis to support that figure. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the state's own methane rules, among the strictest in the country, would stay in place. Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado and Rep. Gabe Vasquez, whose district includes part of the Permian Basin, put out statements opposing the rollback. Environmental groups including EDF, NRDC and the National Wildlife Federation also criticized it. The proposal had not yet appeared in the Federal Register.
“The Trump administration has proven, once again, that they are willing to risk the health and safety of Americans for political games. This action is not only an assault on Coloradans' health, but will also cut methane-reduction industry jobs and limit natural gas supply at a time when energy prices are already soaring. Colorado is a proud leader in state methane pollution limits, and I will continue working to defend these valuable protections nationwide.”