The American Petroleum Institute strongly supports the US Environmental Protection Agency’s review of New Source Performance Standards, which were adopted in 2016 because they did not fully consider costs to oil and gas producers, an API official testified at a July 10 public hearing about the rule’s proposed reevaluation.
“API encourages EPA to proceed with its review and revision of the underlying rule as expeditiously as possible, based on sound science and economics, considering the operational and technical issues that have been already raised in comments and litigation,” said Howard J. Feldman, API senior director for regulatory and scientific affairs.
During EPA’s development of a 2012 rule dealing with volatile organic compounds (VOC) as well as the most recent version, API’s objective has been to identify cost-effective emissions control requirements that would reduce methane and VOC emissions from new sources, Feldman said.
The earlier rule was developed in collaboration with industry, is based upon industry innovation, and is proving effective, Feldman said.
“Unfortunately…EPA’s 2016 rule failed to account for all of the costs associated with the final rule requirements and did not provide significant environmental benefit beyond a rule focused on VOC losses,” he said.
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