EDF Action Launches Six-Figure Ad Campaign Encouraging Citizen Voices against Senate Action Rolling Back Taxpayer Protections and Natural Gas Waste

This week, EDF Action launched a six-figure advocacy campaign, with digital ads running in the District of Columbia, Arizona, Nevada, North Dakota, and Ohio, and with radio ads running target cities including Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Cincinnati.

The ads encourage citizens to call their representatives and voice their opposition to the rollback of the Bureau of Land Management’s Natural Gas Waste Rule, which reduces the amount of natural gas wasted on federal and tribal lands. This rule requires private oil and gas companies operating on millions of acres of federal and tribal land to reduce nearly 110 billion cubic feet of taxpayer-owned natural gas they currently waste each year through leaks, venting, or simply burning it off (called flaring). Over $1.5 billion of natural gas has been wasted on federal and tribal lands since 2013.

Industry opponents to the rule claim that regulating natural gas is a burden on industry, yet there is no evidence to back that up. API’s president was even questioned before congress this year and could not produce any evidence in support of this argument. The facts are that jobs in the methane mitigation industry benefit from common sense standards to curb the waste of natural gas and methane emissions.

“Recent polling shows widespread public support across the political spectrum for these rules,” said Elizabeth Thompson, President of EDF Action. “While industry likes to suggest that Senators need to be ‘educated’ about the drawbacks to the rule, constituents are, in fact, educated about what’s at stake – taxpayer revenues and public health—and they are strong in their support for these regulations.”

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the CRA with a tight vote of 221-191 and the Senate is expected to consider this rule as soon as this week.

These ads continue EDF Action’s large media campaign targeting House and Senate members on the BLM rule, and its ongoing work to defend environmental progress and protect all Americans.