Methane

Filed in the Northern District of California, challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s use of Administrative Procedure Act section 705 to stay implementation of the BLM methane waste rule.

This case challenges the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s decision to stay compliance deadlines for certain provisions of its Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation Rule, 81 Fed. Reg. 83,008 (Nov. 18, 2016), which has been in effect since January 17, 2017. See 82 Fed. Reg. 27,430 (June 15, 2017). BLM’s June 15, 2017 stay violates the Administrative Procedure Act. 5 U.S.C. §§ 553, 705, 706(2)(A). The stay harms Plaintiffs and other members of the public by reducing royalty payments and allowing waste of public natural gas resources and excessive air pollution that would otherwise be controlled under the Rule.