Take Action Now on Three Major U.S. Coal Mine Methane Sources

I am writing to ask you to use your influence to ensure that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Mine Safety and Health Administration investigate and address major coal-mine methane sources. The United Nations Environment Program’s Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) Top 50 snapshot for September 2026 identifies three U.S. coal-mine venting shafts among the world’s 50 largest persistent point sources detected by satellites. (https://methanedata.unep.org/downloads/top50_emitters/latest/mars_snapshot_latest.pdf) The source labeled USA_S_422 is ranked as the 31st-largest methane emitter globally. According to the fact sheet’s coordinates, it is near Farmington and Mannington, West Virginia, in the northern Appalachian coalfield, and is estimated to emit 24,615 tonnes of methane annually. It appears to be associated with the Marion County coal-mining area. I ask MSHA and West Virginia regulators to verify the current operator and responsible permit holder. The source labeled USA_S_1109 is ranked as the 47th-largest methane emitter globally. It is near Benton, Illinois, in the southern Illinois coalfield, and is estimated to emit 14,191 tonnes of methane annually. The likely source appears to be the Sugar Camp Mine complex. I ask MSHA and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to verify the current operator and responsible permit holder. A third coal-mine venting shaft USA_S_502 has also been identified near Nineveh in Greene County, Pennsylvania. Consol is listed by Pennsylvania DEP as the operator of the nearby Bailey and Enlow Fork mines. This location represents a new source of methane, meaning the USA now has three of the top 50 methane polluting sources in the world. The information available to me does not establish its current operator, or permit holder. Please ask MSHA, the EPA, and Pennsylvania regulators to verify the site, identify the responsible operator, and take corrective action is warranted. The two sources in the September 2026 MARS snapshot are estimated to release around 50,000 tons of methane annually combined. That’s roughly the annual tailpipe CO₂ emissions of 300,000 passenger cars. Please ask the EPA and MSHA to investigate these locations, determine how emissions can be reduced through improved capture, maintenance, or ventilation practices, and require appropriate corrective action consistent with mine-safety and environmental law. Please also coordinate with the relevant state environmental agencies and, where appropriate, the states’ congressional delegations. Thank you for your attention to this significant public health, environmental, and climate concern.