The U.S. natural gas trade groups this past week are opposing the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) plan to reduce emissions from over 4,344,300-km of gas transmission systems and storage facilities, one conceived to support President Biden's methane emissions reduction action plan.

The gas associations said extensive changes needed to be made to PHMSA’s proposal for it to be technically and economically feasible.

"Pipeline operators are working every day to improve safety and environmental performance, but this proposed rule would do little to accomplish PHMSA’s stated goals," said Robin Rorick, the American Petroleum Institute's (API) vice president of midstream policy.

The API and fellow natural gas advocacy groups said PHMSA should provide a three-year effective date for the final rule and not the proposed six months.

The Biden administration intends to toughen the crackdown on oil and gas industry methane leaks as part of a "relentless focus" on preventing planet-warming emissions. It aims to decarbonize the U.S. economy by 2050.