II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5214 

To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a measurement-based national methane research pilot study to quantify methane emissions from certain oil and gas infrastructure, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 8, 2022 

Mr. MERKLEY (for himself and Mr. WHITEHOUSE) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment 

and Public Works 

A BILL 

To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 

Agency to conduct a measurement-based national methane research pilot study to quantify methane emissions 

from certain oil and gas infrastructure, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Methane Emissions 

5 Research Act of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. NATIONAL METHANE RESEARCH PILOT STUDY. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis2 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ3 mental Protection Agency. 

4 (2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON5 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con6 gress’’ means— 

7 (A) the Committee on Environment and 

8 Public Works of the Senate; and 

9 (B) the Committee on Science, Space, and 

10 Technology of the House of Representatives. 

11 (3) COVERED OIL AND GAS INFRASTRUC12 TURE.— 

13 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘covered oil 

14 and gas infrastructure’’ means the infrastruc15 ture used for the production, gathering and 

16 boosting, processing, transmission, and storage 

17 of oil and natural gas in the United States. 

18 (B) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘‘covered oil 

19 and gas infrastructure’’ does not include oil and 

20 gas distribution infrastructure. 

21 (4) METHANE CENSUS.—The term ‘‘methane 

22 census’’ means a national methane census study to 

23 evaluate methane emissions from covered oil and gas 

24 infrastructure that, if carried out, would— 


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1 (A) be undertaken on a recurring basis; 

2 and 

3 (B) encompass all 7 regions. 

4 (5) PILOT STUDY.—The term ‘‘pilot study’’ 

5 means the measurement-based national methane re6 search pilot study required under subsection (b). 

7 (6) REGION.—The term ‘‘region’’ means any of 

8 the 7 oil and gas regions evaluated in the July 2022 

9 Drilling Productivity Report of the Energy Informa10 tion Administration. 

11 (b) PILOT STUDY REQUIRED.—The Administrator, 

12 in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, the Adminis13 trator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administra14 tion, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and At15 mospheric Administration, the Administrator of the Pipe16 line and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the 

17 Director of the National Institute of Standards and Tech18 nology, and the heads of other Federal agencies as the 

19 Administrator determines appropriate, shall conduct a 

20 measurement-based national methane research pilot study 

21 to quantify methane emissions from covered oil and gas 

22 infrastructure. 

23 (c) REQUIREMENTS.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the pilot 

25 study, the Administrator shall— 


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1 (A) select 2 regions within which to carry 

2 out the pilot study; 

3 (B) identify areas consisting primarily of 

4 covered oil and gas infrastructure within each 

5 region selected under subparagraph (A); 

6 (C) develop and implement methodologies 

7 and procedures for a measurement-based eval8 uation of methane emissions from the covered 

9 oil and gas infrastructure described in subpara10 graph (B); 

11 (D) assess diverse approaches to the char12 acterization of methane emissions from the cov13 ered oil and gas infrastructure described in sub14 paragraph (B); and 

15 (E) consult with Federal, State, local, aca16 demic, nonprofit, and private sector entities, as 

17 appropriate. 

18 (2) TECHNOLOGIES.—In carrying out the pilot 

19 study, the Administrator shall— 

20 (A) employ a technology or suite of tech21 nologies for methane emissions measurement, 

22 research, and analysis; and 

23 (B) to the extent practicable, consider 

24 using innovative technologies for methane emis25 sions measurement and quantification. 


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1 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 

2 of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 

3 to the appropriate committees of Congress, and make pub4 licly available, a report assessing the results of the pilot 

5 study, which shall include— 

6 (1) an overview of the findings of the pilot 

7 study with respect to the quantification and charac8 terization of methane emissions from covered oil and 

9 gas infrastructure; 

10 (2) an analysis of how the pilot study could 

11 support and inform the development and implemen12 tation of a methane census, which shall include an 

13 analysis of— 

14 (A) the feasibility of evaluating the amount 

15 of methane emissions from covered oil and gas 

16 infrastructure by region, industry segment, type 

17 of emission source, or any other criterion, as a 

18 component of a methane census; 

19 (B) the necessary scope of measurement20 based activities within regions in order to carry 

21 out a methane census; 

22 (C) any onshore or offshore gaps within 

23 the scope of the pilot study that could merit in24 clusion as a part of a methane census; 


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1 (D) the estimated budget that would be re2 quired to oversee a methane census; and 

3 (E) any other relevant topic, as determined 

4 by the Administrator; 

5 (3) an analysis of how the measurement-based 

6 evaluation of methane emissions from covered oil 

7 and gas infrastructure, as completed by the pilot 

8 study or contemplated for a methane census, could 

9 support efforts to reconcile data generated by top10 down methods and bottom-up methods of analysis of 

11 methane emissions from covered oil and gas infra12 structure with respect to the Inventory of U.S. 

13 Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks of the Envi14 ronmental Protection Agency, which shall include an 

15 analysis of— 

16 (A) how methane emissions data from the 

17 pilot study or a methane census could be used 

18 as a part of a reconciliation process to better 

19 understand and improve data estimates from 

20 both top-down methods and bottom-up methods 

21 of analysis of methane emissions from covered 

22 oil and gas infrastructure; 

23 (B) how methane emissions data from the 

24 pilot study or a methane census could identify 

25 and help to explore any significant discrepVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:52 Dec 12, 2022 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5214.IS S5214

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1 ancies between top-down methods and bottom2 up methods of analysis of methane emissions 

3 from covered oil and gas infrastructure; and 

4 (C) any other relevant topic, as determined 

5 by the Administrator; 

6 (4) a description of any research or technology 

7 gaps that were identified during the course of the 

8 pilot study and could merit additional study to sup9 port the improvement of methane emissions meas10 urement and quantification; and 

11 (5) a description of the methodology of the pilot 

12 study that, to the greatest extent practicable and 

13 consistent with appropriate protections for confiden14 tial business information and intellectual property, 

15 as determined by the Administrator, includes a dis16 cussion of— 

17 (A) study design; 

18 (B) measurement techniques; 

19 (C) efforts to account for additional sig20 nificant sources of methane emissions within a 

21 region; and 

22 (D) assumptions and uncertainties in the 

23 results of the pilot study. 

24 (e) METHANE EMISSIONS DATA INTEROPER25 ABILITY.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, to the 

2 greatest extent practicable, shall ensure that all data 

3 collected as part of the pilot study adheres to data 

4 and metadata standards determined appropriate by 

5 the Administrator to support the public findability, 

6 accessibility, interoperability, and reusability of those 

7 data. 

8 (2) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out para9 graph (1), the Administrator shall consult with the 

10 heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate— 

11 (A) to facilitate effective data sharing re12 garding methane emissions measurement and 

13 quantification data; and 

14 (B) to ensure that methane emissions 

15 measurement and quantification data gathered 

16 by those other Federal agencies can be con17 verted to a format that is consistent with the 

18 methodologies and procedures of the pilot 

19 study. 

20 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

21 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

22 $20,000,000, to remain available until expended. 

Æ 


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