The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has committed more than $1 million to evaluate the economic and technical feasibility of recovering and using methane from coal mines in China. The process of mining coal releases methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide, into escape into the atmosphere. If methane recovery programs are implemented at all three project sites, up to 1.8 million metric tons of the greenhouse gas could be eliminated. That’s equal to the annual emissions of up to 330,000 cars.

Methane to Markets, launched in 2004, is a public/private partnership that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by promoting the cost-effective, near-term recovery and use of methane, while providing clean energy to markets around the world. China and the U.S. were two of the founding members of the partnership, which has grown to include 27 countries and more than 750 private sector entities, financial institutions, nongovernmental agencies and other organizations.

Under the agreement, EPA is conducting three full-scale feasibility studies at the Luizhang Mine in Anhui Province, a group of six mines in the Songzao coal basin in Chongqing, and a group of six mines in the Hebi region of Henan Province.

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