VGS President and CEO Don Rendall today issued the following statement regarding the EPA’s Proposed Methane Rule
“We are disappointed that the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a rule change that will roll back methane emission regulations. We are committed to addressing the challenges of climate change and we believe natural gas must play a pivotal role. We share our customers’ goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in support of the Vermont’s 90% renewable energy by 2050 goal.
We believe in strong environmental regulation and enforcement at the Federal level. We actively supported adoption of the current methane emission rules in 2015. We urge the EPA to keep and enforce them.
VGS is proud to have already taken steps to reduce our overall carbon footprint, including operating a state-of-the-art pipeline system that includes no bare steel or cast-iron pipes, maintaining strict operations and maintenance practices to minimize methane leakage, and promoting energy efficiency to reduce overall usage and lower customer bills. Plus, VGS now offers an optional retail renewable natural gas product to our customers and is partnering to produce renewable natural gas here in Vermont; helping farmers, cleaning up waterways, and creating a locally-sourced, sustainable fuel supply.”