EPA Keeps Messing with Drillers, Tweaks Regulations Yet Again

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is once again interferring in the states responsibilities to regulate oil and gas drilling. The always excellent ShaleEnergyLawBlog, written by the law firm Babst Calland, notes two recent changes to regulations issued by the EPA dealing with greenhouse gas reporting and storage tanks:

On April 2, 2013, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) withdrew a direct final rule it issued in February 2013 that required oil and natural gas companies to submit by June 30th of each year a request to use alternative calculation methods for reporting greenhouse gas emissions. EPA received adverse comments on the direct final rule, and will instead address this issue through the proposed rulemaking process.(1)

And this:

On March 28, 2013, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a pre-publication version of proposed amendments to the Oil and Natural Gas Sector New Source Performance Standards (NSPS). EPA published the final oil and gas NSPS in August 2012, and is now proposing changes to the rule in response to petitions filed by industry and environmental groups. The proposed amendments would affect a variety of storage tanks associated with the oil and natural gas production process.(2)

(1) ShaleEnergyLawBlog (Apr 2, 2013) – U.S. EPA Withdraws Rule Changing Deadline for Requesting Alternative Calculation Method for Greenhouse Gas Reporting

(2) ShaleEnergyLawBlog (Apr 2, 2013) – U.S. EPA Proposing Changes to Air Rule Affecting Tanks Used in Oil and Natural Gas Production