Targa Resources Named April Polluter of the Month
New satellite data and field investigations reveal frequent methane super-emitter events at Targa midstream facilities.
Environmental advocacy group Big Gas Polluters has named Targa Resources its April 2026 Polluter of the Month, citing a history of emission violations and recent satellite data showing massive methane leaks.
Targa, a Fortune 500 company and a major operator of natural gas liquids infrastructure, has public goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, data from the past five years indicates the company frequently exceeds pollution limits.
In 2025, satellite monitoring identified multiple “super-emitter” events at Targa facilities. The EPA defines these events as releasing methane at a rate of at least 100 kilograms per hour. To put that in perspective, a single hour of such a leak is equivalent to the emissions from driving a gasoline-powered car roughly 2,000 miles.
Field investigations conducted in November 2025 at three Targa midstream sites in the New Mexico Permian Basin also found evidence of active pollution at every location.
The company’s environmental record has faced increased scrutiny in recent years. During 2021’s Winter Storm Uri, Targa’s gas processing plants were responsible for nearly 20% of the total pollution released in Texas. Similar emission spikes occurred during winter storms in 2022.
State records further highlight the frequency of these incidents. In New Mexico, Targa operations exceeded state emission limits 277 times during the first few months of 2024. In 2023, Texas authorities investigated the company for failing to report a major pollution event that had been detected by satellite surveillance.
Despite numerous fines and hundreds of penalties over the last five years, data suggests the company continues to struggle with meaningful pollution control across its regional operations.
About the Author
Jesse Jacobs is Assistant Editor of EPOnline.com.
