Photo:Reuters
US oil firms ignoring environment guidelines in the face of coronavirus
By Patryk Krych | The World Daily | AUGUST 24th 2020
A recent report from the Associated Press news agency has found that oil companies numbering in the thousands were permitted to cease their usual monitoring for hazardous greenhouse gas emissions, as a result of coronavirus economic difficulties.
Oil firms, facilities, operations, and many other such companies in the United States had all been granted permissions to bypass the primary rules given to them that were meant to protect or otherwise give some heed to the environment, as well as the general health of the public. According to the report, this was made possible by US President Donald Trump's administration.
The report specifies that this had occurred around March 26, when the administration was experiencing pressure from many oil and gas producing companies, who’d seen some struggle following the implementation of COVID-19 lockdowns and quarantine instructions. As such, the Trump administration paved the way for oil and gas companies seeing an exception to the environmental rules that are usually set in place for them.
These federal environmental laws are mostly overseen by the State, and as such, many had followed through with their own varying policies. Many companies claimed to have trouble following the pollution laws in the midst of a lockdown, and as such, many had gotten permission to bypass the regular laws.
Waivers had been granted in more than 3,000 cases around the US, according to a two-month research period performed by the AP news agency. Out of all the requests made during the outbreak, this represents an overwhelming majority. Several scientists and news agencies had written about the positive effects of the quarantine period on the environment, the drop in greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the fewer number of planes that’d flown along the skies. All the while unaware of the special treatments granted unto hundreds of oil and gas producers to focus less on pollution, and more on profit.
“The harm from this policy is already done,” said Cynthia Giles, a former assistant administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who’d worked under the Obama administration. The EPA went on to state that it would see to it that the leniency came to an end this month, and reaffirmed that their own clemency does not by any means extend to allowing the exceeding of pollution limits.
