Methane Emissions Research Act

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 4072 To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to con- duct a measurement-based national methane research pilot study to quan- tify methane emissions from certain oil and gas infrastructure, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 13, 2023 Mr. LIEU (for himself, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. STEVENS, Mrs. MCCLELLAN, Mr. CASTEN, Mrs. FOUSHEE, Ms. SALINAS, and Ms. LOFGREN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology A BILL To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a measurement-based national meth- ane research pilot study to quantify methane emissions from certain oil and gas infrastructure, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Methane Emissions 4 Research Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:59 Jul 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4072.IH H4072 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 4072 IH SEC. 2. NATIONAL METHANE RESEARCH PILOT STUDY. 1 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, in collabora- 2 tion with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 3 Atmospheric Administration, and in consultation with the 4 Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the National 5 Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Administrator 6 of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Adminis- 7 tration, the Director of the National Institute of Stand- 8 ards and Technology, and the heads of other Federal 9 agencies as appropriate, shall conduct a measurement- 10 based national methane research pilot study (in this sec- 11 tion referred to as the ‘‘pilot study’’) to quantify methane 12 emissions from covered oil and gas infrastructure. The Ad- 13 ministrator shall employ a technology or suite of tech- 14 nologies for methane emissions measurement, research, 15 and analysis. To the extent practicable, the Administrator 16 shall consider utilizing innovative technologies for methane 17 emissions measurement and quantification. 18 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—The pilot study shall— 19 (1) encompass two regions, which shall be de- 20 termined by the Administrator; 21 (2) identify areas consisting primarily of cov- 22 ered oil and gas infrastructure within each such re- 23 gion; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:59 Jul 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4072.IH H4072 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 4072 IH (3) develop and implement methodologies and 1 procedures for a measurement-based evaluation of 2 methane emissions from such infrastructure; 3 (4) assess diverse approaches to the character- 4 ization of methane emissions from such infrastruc- 5 ture; and 6 (5) consult with Federal, State, local, academic, 7 nonprofit, and private sector entities, as appropriate. 8 (c) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the date 9 of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall sub- 10 mit to the appropriate committees of Congress, and make 11 publicly available, a report assessing the results of the 12 pilot study. The report shall include the following: 13 (1) An overview of the findings of the pilot 14 study pertaining to the quantification and character- 15 ization of methane emissions from covered oil and 16 gas infrastructure. 17 (2) An analysis of how the pilot study could 18 support and inform the development and implemen- 19 tation of a national methane census study (in this 20 section referred to as the ‘‘methane census’’), to be 21 undertaken on a recurring basis and encompass all 22 seven regions. Such analysis shall also examine the 23 following: 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:59 Jul 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4072.IH H4072 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 4072 IH (A) The feasibility of evaluating the 1 amount of methane emissions from covered oil 2 and gas infrastructure by region, industry seg- 3 ment, type of emission source, or any other cri- 4 terion, as a component of the methane census. 5 (B) The necessary scope of measurement- 6 based activities within regions in order to carry 7 out the methane census. 8 (C) Any onshore or offshore gaps within 9 the scope of the pilot study that could merit in- 10 clusion as a part of the methane census. 11 (D) The estimated budget that would be 12 required to oversee the methane census. 13 (E) Any other relevant topic, as deter- 14 mined by the Administrator. 15 (3) An analysis of how the measurement-based 16 evaluation of methane emissions from covered oil 17 and gas infrastructure, as completed by the pilot 18 study or contemplated for the methane census, could 19 support efforts to reconcile data generated by top- 20 down methods and bottom-up methods with respect 21 to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Inventory 22 of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks. Such 23 analysis shall also examine the following: 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:59 Jul 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4072.IH H4072 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 4072 IH (A) How methane emissions data from the 1 pilot study or methane census could be utilized 2 as a part of a reconciliation process to better 3 understand and improve data estimates from 4 both top-down methods and bottom-up methods. 5 (B) How methane emissions data from the 6 pilot study or methane census could identify 7 and help to explore any significant discrep- 8 ancies between top-down methods and bottom- 9 up methods for methane emissions from covered 10 oil and gas infrastructure. 11 (C) Any other relevant topic, as deter- 12 mined by the Administrator. 13 (4) A description of any research or technology 14 gaps that were identified during the course of the 15 pilot study and could merit additional study to sup- 16 port the improvement of methane emissions meas- 17 urement and quantification. 18 (5) A description of the methodology of the 19 pilot study, which, to the greatest extent possible 20 and consistent with appropriate protections for con- 21 fidential business information and intellectual prop- 22 erty, shall include a discussion of the following: 23 (A) Study design. 24 (B) Measurement techniques. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:59 Jul 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4072.IH H4072 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 4072 IH (C) Efforts to account for additional sig- 1 nificant sources of methane emissions within a 2 region. 3 (D) Assumptions and uncertainties in the 4 results of the pilot study. 5 (d) METHANE EMISSIONS DATA INTEROPER- 6 ABILITY.—The Administrator, to the greatest extent pos- 7 sible, shall ensure that all data collected as part of the 8 pilot study adheres to data and metadata standards to 9 support the public findability, accessibility, interoper- 10 ability, and reusability of such data. The Administrator 11 shall consult with the heads of other Federal agencies, as 12 appropriate, to— 13 (1) facilitate effective data sharing regarding 14 methane emissions measurement and quantification 15 data; and 16 (2) ensure that methane emissions measure- 17 ment and quantification data gathered by such other 18 Federal agencies can be converted to a format that 19 is consistent with the methodologies and procedures 20 of the pilot study. 21 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 22 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 23 $20,000,000, to remain available until expended. 24 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:59 Jul 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4072.IH H4072 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 7 •HR 4072 IH (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis- 1 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ- 2 mental Protection Agency. 3 (2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON- 4 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con- 5 gress’’ means the Committee on Science, Space, and 6 Technology of the House of Representatives and the 7 Committee on the Environment and Public Works of 8 the Senate. 9 (3) COVERED OIL AND GAS INFRASTRUC- 10 TURE.—The term ‘‘covered oil and gas infrastruc- 11 ture’’ means the infrastructure used for the produc- 12 tion, gathering and boosting, processing, trans- 13 mission, and storage of oil and natural gas in the 14 United States. Such term does not include oil and 15 gas distribution infrastructure. 16 (4) REGION.—The term ‘‘region’’ means any of 17 the seven oil and gas regions evaluated by the U.S. 18 Energy Information Administration in its May 2023 19 Drilling Productivity Report. 20 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:59 Jul 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H4072.IH H4072 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB