New Rollback For Climate-Changing Releases From Oilfields |

The Trump administration is expected to further ease oversight of the oil and gas industry's emissions of climate-changing greenhouse gases.

Oil industry and environmental groups say they expect the Environmental Protection Agency to release a proposal as soon as Thursday that would roll back requirements on detecting and plugging methane leaks at oil and gas facilities.

The move would be the latest in a series by the Trump administration easing emissions controls on the oil, gas and coal industries.

Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases. Pound for pound it's more destructive to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

A study by the Environmental Defense Fund , advocacy group, has concluded the oil and gas industry is emitting far more of the heat-trapping gas than is reported to the EPA.