API urges EPA to reconsider, not just stay, new VOC emissions limits

Aug. 10, 2017
The American Petroleum Institute urged the US Environmental Protection Agency to go beyond a proposed 3-month stay and fully reconsider recently issued volatile organic compound emissions limits at new, reconstructed, or modified US oil and gas operations.

The American Petroleum Institute urged the US Environmental Protection Agency to go beyond a proposed 3-month stay and fully reconsider recently issued volatile organic compound emissions limits at new, reconstructed, or modified US oil and gas operations.

“Throughout the development of the 2012 oil and gas NSPS rule and its amendments in 2016, API has maintained a collaborative working relationship with [EPA] staff to provide operational and emissions data to inform the developments of these important rules,” Matthew Todd, API’s senior policy advisor for scientific affairs, said in comments that were submitted to EPA Administrator E. Scott Pruitt on Aug 8.

“During this time, our objective has remained the identification of cost-effective emission control requirements that reduce VOC emissions for new sources and, as a co-benefit, also reduce methane,” he said. “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 already been raised in comments and litigation.”

Todd noted that while EPA has proposed extending compliance dates for a targeted subset of the rule’s requirements for 2 years, there is nothing preventing the agency from reconsidering these issues sooner, along with other technical questions API raised in an Aug. 2 petition.

“Going forward, the agency should consider addressing any issues, on an expedited timeline, that can be easily addressed to provide the clarity the industry is seeking to comply with the rule,” he told Pruitt.

Contact Nick Snow at [email protected].