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As part of the EPA's proposal, companies conduct leak inspections at least once a year, in most cases, and every two years for low-producing oil and gas wells.
Oil and gas drillers are currently required to repair methane leaks within 30 days, but the new rules give a company 60 days to repair leaks.
The EPA did not immediately postpone CNN's request for comments.
In its draft proposal, the agency said it was making the changes because the previous administration "may have overestimated the emission reductions" when rolling out the 2016 rule.
Other proposed changes include doubling the time between inspections of natural gas trapping and compression equipment and allowing gas-fired companies to meet methane standards at the national level, as opposed to federal standards.
The passage of the EPA would allow oil and gas companies to release methane, a potent greenhouse gas that scientists say contributes to global warming. The EPA said it planned to hold at least one public hearing on the proposal.
Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico, the main Democrat of the Senate Subcommittee on House Credits for the Interior, the Environment and Related Organizations, described the proposal as "useless and scandalous".
"Rather than leaving these common-sense safeguards in place for a year, Trump's EPA is giving priority to its polluting big friends to the detriment of the health and well-being of new Mexicans and locals. all the countries". said in a statement.
CNN's Gregory Wallace contributed to this report.
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