The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just gave oil and gas companies permission to keep doing something harmful that was supposed to stop: burning off excess gas at oil wells — a practice known as flaring. This was supposed to end by May 7, 2026, after years of preparation. Instead, the EPA stepped in at the last minute to let it continue.

Flaring isn't just wasteful. It pumps dangerous chemicals into the air that millions of people breathe every day. We're talking about benzene and formaldehyde — known human carcinogens — along with smog-forming pollutants that trigger asthma attacks and other serious health problems. The people most at risk are those living closest to oil and gas sites, communities that already carry more than their fair share of pollution.

And the climate cost is just as serious. The gas burned off during flaring is primarily methane, a greenhouse gas that is 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in its first 20 years in the atmosphere. As "Putting an end to the practice of flaring is one of the most immediate and cost-effective steps we can take to cut methane emissions and reduce other harmful pollutants that jeopardize the health of millions of people," said Mahyar Sorour, Sierra Club Director of Beyond Fossil Fuels Policy.

Oil and gas companies have had two years to get ready for this deadline. The technology to stop routine flaring exists right now. There are no excuses — only a choice to prioritize industry profits over people's health and our shared climate.

We're calling on the EPA to enforce the flaring phase-out, hold oil and gas operators accountable, and stop putting corporate interests ahead of the communities and climate we all depend on.

Sign this petition to tell the EPA: enough is enough.