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Published on January 20, 2025
Oklahoma AG Leads 23-State Coalition in Lawsuit Against Biden Administration and EPA Over Methane TaxSource: Wikipedia/TulsaPoliticsFan, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

In a legal clash over environmental regulation and the fossil fuel industry, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, alongside a coalition of 23 states, has initiated a lawsuit against the Biden Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The suit, lodged in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, seeks to revoke a newly minted methane tax levied by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as reported by the Oklahoma Attorney of General.

The concern underlying the suit is the assertion that the tax on methane emissions, as stipulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Inflation Reduction Act, oversteps the agency's granted powers. "This unlawful and egregious tax is a last-ditch effort by the Biden Administration to once again attack our oil and gas industry," Drummond declared, according to the the Oklahoma Attorney of General. The tax is aimed to penalize energy producers whose oil and gas facilities generate methane above certain established levels.

Drummond's petition argues that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule goes beyond its legal authority and is an abuse of power. Along with Oklahoma, 21 other mostly Republican-led states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia, are joining the challenge, highlighting the ongoing conflict between state efforts to protect the oil and gas industry and federal environmental regulations, as per the Oklahoma Attorney of General.

The Oklahoma Attorney General strongly opposes the methane tax, calling it a heavy burden on the industry. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency argues it's part of efforts to fight climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. State leaders from Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, and Kansas also oppose the tax, claiming it could raise costs for energy producers and have economic consequences beyond their states.