Oil and Natural Gas Air Pollution Standards
Regulatory Actions
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Extension of Comment Period for Advance Notice of Proposed Rule Making for Minor Source Permitting in Indian Country
July 11, 2014 – EPA is seeking broad public feedback on options for implementing EPA's Indian Country Minor New Source Review (NSR) program for oil and gas production sources in Indian country. The agency is requesting comments on options for streamlining permitting to minimize delays, while ensuring that air quality in Indian country is protected. This action extends the public comment period to August 20, 2014.
- Comment period extension (PDF) (2pp, 236k) - Federal Register - July 17, 2014
Updates and Clarifications
July 1, 2014 – EPA is proposing updates and clarifications to its cost-effective regulations that reduce harmful air pollution from the oil and natural gas industry. The proposed updates would not change the emission reductions in the rules.
- Proposed Rule (PDF) (19pp, 426k) - Federal Register - July 17, 2014
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (4pp, 364k)
Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Minor New Source Review Permitting for Oil & Gas Production Sources in Indian Country
May 22, 2014 - EPA is seeking broad public feedback on options for implementing EPA’s Indian Country Minor New Source Review (NSR) program for oil and gas production sources in Indian country. The agency is requesting comments on options for streamlining permitting to minimize delays, while ensuring that air quality in Indian country is protected.
- Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (PDF) (20pp, 346k) - Federal Register - June 5, 2014
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (4pp, 330k)
Extension to Minor NSR Permitting Deadline for Oil and Gas Sources
May 22, 2014 - EPA finalized revisions to its 2011 Indian Country Minor New Source Review (NSR) Rule to extend Clean Air Act permitting and registration deadlines for new and modified minor sources in the oil and natural gas sector industry.
- Deadline Extension (PDF) (10pp, 240k) - Federal Register - June 16, 2014
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (2pp, 312k)
Updated VOC Performance Standards for Storage Tanks
August 5, 2013 – EPA issued final updates to its 2012 VOC performance standards for storage tanks used in crude oil and natural gas production and transmission. The updates will ensure the tanks likely to have the highest emissions are controlled first, while providing tank owners and operators time to purchase and install VOC controls. The amendments reflect recent information showing that more storage tanks will be coming on line than the agency originally estimated.
- Final Rule (PDF) (34pp, 499k) - Federal Register - September 23, 2013
- Fact Sheet (PDF) (5pp, 106k)
EPA To Hold Public Hearing on Proposed Updates to 2012 Performance Standards for VOCs
April 18, 2013 – EPA will hold a public hearing Monday, April 29, 2013 on proposed updates to its 2012 VOC performance standards for storage tanks used in crude oil and natural gas production. The proposed changes reflect recent information showing that more higher-volume storage tanks will be coming on line than the agency originally estimated.
- List of Preregistered Speakers (PDF) (3pp, 62k)
- Public Hearing Registration Information and Instructions on Submitting Comments (PDF) (2pp, 236k)
EPA Proposes Updates to 2012 Performance Standards for VOCs
March 28, 2013 - EPA proposed updates to its 2012 VOC performance standards for storage tanks used in crude oil and natural gas production to facilitate compliance with the standards and clarify requirements. The proposed changes reflect recent information showing that more higher-volume storage tanks will be coming on line than the agency originally estimated.
- Proposed rule (PDF) (26pp, 471k) - Federal Register - April 12, 2013
- Fact sheet (PDF) (6pp, 374k)
EPA Issues Final Air Rules for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry
On April 17, 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued cost-effective regulations, required by the Clean Air Act, to reduce harmful air pollution from the oil and natural gas industry while allowing continued, responsible growth in U.S. oil and natural gas production. The final rules include the first federal air standards for natural gas wells that are hydraulically fractured, along with requirements for several other sources of pollution in the oil and gas industry that currently are not regulated at the federal level. Based on public comment, EPA made a number of changes to the proposed rules to increase compliance flexibility while maintaining comparable environmental benefits, streamline notification, recordkeeping and reporting requirements, and strengthen accountability.
- Final rule (PDF) (112pp, 1.0 MB) - Federal Register - August 16, 2012
- Overview fact sheet (PDF) (5pp, 354k)
- Summary of key changes to the rule (PDF) (3pp, 320k)
- Summaries of requirements for:
- Natural gas well sites (PDF) (5pp, 411k)
- Natural gas gathering and boosting stations (PDF) (3pp, 389k)
- Gas processing plants (PDF) (3pp, 395k)
- Natural gas transmission compressor stations (PDF) (2pp, 322k)
- The oil industry (PDF) (2pp, 320k)
- Information for States (PDF) (3pp, 233k)
- Presentation - Reducing Air Pollution from the Oil and Natural Gas Industry (PDF) (13pp, 368k)
- Regulatory Impact Analysis (PDF) (224pp, 1.8 MB)
Deadline for Final Oil and Gas Rule extended to April 17, 2012
April 2, 2012 - EPA and parties have agreed to a two-week extension – until April 17, 2012 - on a consent decree to issue final air rules for the oil and natural gas industry. The agency requested the additional time to fully address the issues raised in the more than 156,000 public comments we received on the proposed rules.
- Stipulation extending deadline for issuing final rule (PDF) (3pp, 10k) - filed April 2, 2012
EPA extends public comment period for oil and natural gas proposed rule
October 24, 2011 - EPA is granting requests for a 30-day extension to the public comment period for the Agency's proposed standards to reduce air pollution from oil and natural gas drilling operations. The public comment period will now close on November 30, 2011. The standards would rely on cost-effective existing technologies to reduce emissions that contribute to smog pollution and can cause cancer, while supporting the administration's priority of continuing to expand safe and responsible domestic oil and gas production. The standards would leverage operators' abilities to capture and sell natural gas that currently escapes into the air, resulting in more efficient operations while reducing harmful emissions that can impact air quality in surrounding areas and nearby states.
In addition, the litigants in the suit have agreed to a 35-day extension of the date for the final rule, which would extend the deadline from February 28, 2012 to April 3, 2012.
- Proposed rule extension (PDF) (2pp, 147k) - Federal Register - October 28, 2011
- Stipulation extending deadline for issuing final rule (PDF) (3pp, 11k) - filed October 28, 2011
- Summary of topics on which EPA is seeking comments (PDF) (8pp, 129k) - Topics on which EPA is specifically seeking comment in the proposed regulations for the oil and gas industry. Comments are due by November 30, 2011.
Public Hearings
August 25, 2011 - EPA will hold three public hearings on the proposed standards to reduce air pollution from the oil and natural gas industry. The hearings will be Sept. 27, 28 and 29 in Pittsburgh, Denver and Arlington, Texas
- Hearing Notice (PDF) (2pp, 184k) - Federal Register - August 26, 2011
- List of preregistered speakers
- Pittsburgh, PA (PDF) (4pp, 213k)
- Audio Recording of Hearing Part 1 (mp3) (21.3 MB)
- Audio Recording of Hearing Part 2 (mp3) (17.0 MB)
- Audio Recording of Hearing Part 3 (mp3) (13.3 MB)
- Audio Recording of Hearing Part 4 (mp3) (13.2 MB)
- Audio Recording of Hearing Part 5 (mp3) (20.2 MB)
- Audio Recording of Hearing Part 6 (mp3) (25.1 MB)
- Denver, CO (PDF) (3pp, 166k)
- Arlington, TX (PDF) (3pp, 75k)
- Audio Recording of Hearing Part 1 (mp3) (5.5 MB)
- Audio Recording of Hearing Part 2 (mp3) (46.1 MB)
- Audio Recording of Hearing Part 3 (mp3) (8.2 MB)
- Audio Recording of Hearing Part 4 (mp3) (23.0 MB)
- Pittsburgh, PA (PDF) (4pp, 213k)
EPA proposes air rules for the oil and gas industry
July 28, 2011 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a suite of highly cost-effective standards to reduce emissions of smog-forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and air toxics from the oil and natural gas industry. The rules also would significantly reduce methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
- Proposed rule (PDF) (106pp, 772k) - Federal Register - August 23, 2011
- Fact sheet (PDF) (8pp, 419k)
- Overview Presentation (PDF) (15pp, 250k)
- Regulatory Impact Analysis (PDF) (204pp, 1.6 MB)