White House to announce plan on curbing methane emissions

On Wednesday, the Obama administration will announce a new plan to fight global warming that proposes cutting methane emissions by as much as 45 percent by 2025.

Up to 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are from methane, and that number is expected to rise as more oil and gas is produced domestically, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to also announce on Wednesday the rules and regulations that will be instated in order to curb those emissions, including requirements to control escaping gas from new or modified equipment.

"This is indeed a landmark moment," Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, said in a statement. "Methane pollution is both an environmental problem and a needless waste of energy, and we need responsible oversight of an issue that industry has failed to address."

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