Sister Odile Coirer: Texas could benefit from federal methane rule

Sister Odile Coirier, our field organizer for El Paso and southern New Mexico, had this letter published in the El Paso Times on Jan. 29, 2023. 

As a Franciscan sister in El Paso, I am concerned about the immigration and refugee issue that floods us each day. I also know that some are coming because of food insecurity, which has climate change as a factor, others may be coming because of increasing storms. Right now, the Environmental Protection Agency is having public hearings and asking for comments on national rules to address methane pollution in the oil and gas fields.

It is a moral imperative to care for our common home and work for the dignity of every human being….We know that Texas doesn’t have strong methane rules and could benefit from federal rules.

Methane pollution is more than 80 times stronger than other sources of greenhouse gases that increase climate change disruption. It is also a source of pollution that causes many health concerns adding to the ozone pollution that we and others in West Texas face. It is a moral imperative to care for our common home and work for the dignity of every human being.

We know that Texas doesn’t have strong methane rules and could benefit from federal rules. We need the EPA to pass national rules to address methane pollution, flaring and venting and quickly. The Methane Supplemental Rule proposal is an important step forward to ensure that approved monitoring technologies and data are available to all so that communities and individuals can participate and engage in the Super Emitter Response Program, which is designed to quickly address very large leaks from the oil and gas industry.

Odile Coirier

East Central El Paso