Key facts
- Trump will announce a plan to ease methane rules for oil and gas producers.
- The announcement is scheduled for a campaign swing through Texas on Tuesday.
- The plan would provide relief to small, low-output wells.
- It would end a program using outside groups to report large methane leaks.
- Rules aimed at phasing out routine gas flaring at oil wells would be eased.
President Donald Trump plans to announce a rollback of methane regulations for oil and gas producers during a campaign visit to Texas on Tuesday, a week before the midterm elections. The move is intended to demonstrate his commitment to lowering fuel prices, which have become a political concern for Republicans. The Environmental Protection Agency proposal would offer relief to smaller wells and end a program that utilized external groups to report significant methane leaks. It would also relax regulations on the routine flaring of gas at oil wells. Trump's visit to Texas, a Republican stronghold, is part of a wider effort to bolster support in key states.