Rebuffing the Trump administration, a federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Interior Department to reinstate an Obama-era regulation aimed at restricting harmful methane emissions from oil and gas production on federal lands. "The methane rule puts modest constraints on a dirty practice that endangers public health and wastes billions of taxpayer dollars," Saul said. The methane rule imposes a "significant regulatory burden that encumbers American energy production, economic growth and job creation," especially in North Dakota, Colorado and New Mexico, Interior said. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., said the methane rule provides badly needed revenue to states like New Mexico for public education and other services. "This rule is simply good policy — good for taxpayers, good for the economy and good for the environment," Udall said.

Source: Fox News October 05, 2017 01:52 UTC