Natural Gas Waste Map
An interactive tool highlighting the significant methane pollution on our public lands
Natural gas waste from public lands, largely comprised of methane, pollutes our air and impacts our health and the climate.
Explore the impact that wasted natural gas has on our country with our new methane map.
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Scroll over the map and individual gas flares to see how much natural gas is wasted in your state
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Click on icons to see how natural gas wasted on public lands compares to driving, household electricity and running coal-fired power plants
In 2016, The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) finalized the Methane Waste Prevention Rule which had been created to cut waste of natural gas owned by the American people. The rule established common-sense standards to reduce leaks and reduce intentional venting and flaring. BLM found that the new rule would reduce venting by 35%, flaring by 50% and overall emissions by 35%. Recently, BLM announced a new proposal which guts the 2016 standards.
This new proposal eliminates important environmental and public health protections established under the 2016 rule and will result in increased natural gas waste and reduced taxpayer revenue. It relies on a 40-year-old regulatory framework disconnected from our 21st-century energy landscape. The new proposal is a step backward for the climate, a step backward for our public lands, and a step backward for Americans.
