A federal judge on Thursday overturned an Obama-era rule from 2016 designed to curb methane emissions from associated natural gas on federal and tribal lands, indicating the Department of Interior (DOI) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) overstepped its bounds by attempting to regulate air pollution.

flaring of natural gas

The rule in question is the Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation rule, aka the venting and flaring rule.

The DOI under President Trump has attempted to rescind provisions of the rule in a move that was blocked in July by a California court.

In response, the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and Western Energy Alliance (WEA), along with the states of Montana, North Dakota, Texas and Wyoming sued.

U.S. District Judge Scott...