Congresswoman Luz Rivas Introduces Bill to Protect Public Health and Our Environment, Holds Oil and Gas Accountable

LOS ANGELES — Congresswoman Luz Rivas (CA-29), member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, introduced the Methane Pollution Accountability Act, a bill that holds oil and gas companies accountable for the harmful pollutants and toxins released into communities through venting, flaring, and leaking processes. These communities are often subjected to worse public health, with increased rates of disease such as asthma or cancer.

“For far too long, oil and gas companies have treated environmental justice communities as a dumping ground at the expense of the health and well-being of the families who live there,” said Congresswoman Rivas. “In the San Fernando Valley, decades of harmful emission practices have led to higher rates of asthma, respiratory illnesses, organ damage, and other serious health conditions. My Methane Pollution Accountability Act holds oil and gas companies accountable for their harmful practices to minimize the pollutants being leaked into environmental justice communities like ours. It is my hope that House Republicans put our communities ahead of oil and gas interests and bring this bill to the floor.”

“We are grateful for Representative Rivas’ leadership in holding big polluters accountable for the damage they continue to cause to our health and the environment,” said Madeleine Foote, Healthy Communities Program Director at League of Conservation Voters. “At a time when the Trump Administration caters to the fossil fuel industry and their profits rather than the health and safety of our families, it is more important than ever for Congress to step up and ensure we are prioritizing clean air for every community.”

“Companies who refuse to adopt readily-available technology to reduce routine venting and flaring should absolutely have to have a plan in place to minimize pollution and leaks or pay for their waste,” said Mahyar Sorour, Director of Beyond Fossil Fuels Policy at the Sierra Club. “Methane gas pollutes our air, harms our health, and contributes to rising energy prices. The Trump Administration is blocking safeguards that would stop the practice of routine flaring, so this bill is a critical step to ensure accountability from these bad actors.”

“Curbing pollution from the oil and gas industry is critical to protecting public health," said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. "Not only is methane a powerful greenhouse gas, oil and gas production can also send harmful pollutants like volatile organic compounds, benzene and formaldehyde into the air. Efforts to reduce venting, flaring and negligent releases of methane will help reduce avoidable pollution and hold polluters accountable for wasted resources. We thank Representative Rivas for working to protect the air we all breathe."

Background:

The Methane Pollution Accountability Act requires oil and gas operators with leases on federal land or the Outer Continental Shelf to pay royalties on all methane gas that is consumed or lost by venting, flaring, or other negligent methods. Oil and gas operators must also produce a plan to minimize the harmful pollutants that are being released into environmental justice communities across the country.

This royalty was initially included as Section 50263 of the Inflation Reduction Act. The Trump Administration and House Republicans eliminated the collection of this royalty with the passage of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The Biden Administration finalized the Methane Waste Prevention Rule in 2024, and the Trump Administration announced plans to roll it back. 

The Methane Pollution Accountability Act has two original co-sponsors and is endorsed by the American Lung Association, the League of Conservation Voters, and the Sierra Club.
 

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