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Smythe Anderson [AndersonS@api.org] 8/13/2020 3:17:56 PM Gunasekara, Mandy [gunasekara.Mandy@epa.gov] API Press Release: Methane
Mandy -- In advance of the announcement this afternoon, please see API's press release below. Don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions. Smythe
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API: EPA Methane Rules Enable Continued Emissions Reductions and Realign with Agency's Statutory Obligations
WASHINGTON, August 13, 2020 -- The American Petroleum Institute (API) issued the following statement on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) finalized changes to the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for oil and natural gas facilities. The modified technical and policy rules further align the agency with its statutory obligations under the Clean Air Act while enabling continued emissions reductions, protecting public health and the environment.
"We support this revision as it is consistent with the requirements of the Clean Air Act," API Senior Vice President of Policy, Economics and Regulatory Affairs Frank Macchiarola said. "Our industry continues to drive down methane emissions from operations while meeting America's energy needs every day. Under these modified rules, operators will still be required to control emissions, and the industry continues to make progress in reducing methane emissions through new technologies. Thanks to measurable industry initiatives like The Environmental Partnership, methane emission rates from five of the largest producing regions across the U.S. have fallen more than 60 percent from 2011 to 2018 -- even as production in those regions has increased dramatically."
For nearly a decade, EPA officials have been clear that NSPS targeting of emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) "will also decrease methane emissions," negating the need for another layer of government regulation. An API issue brief explains the industry's success in reducing emissions and the background of NSPS regulation of VOCs, which has reduced methane emissions as a co-benefit.
In the Permian Basin, production surged 170 percent from 2011 to 2018, but methane emissions relative to production declined nearly 45 percent. In the Eagle Ford basin, production grew 140 percent over the same period, and methane emissions relative to production fell more than 70 percent. A study by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration also found that overall U.S. methane emissions have remained flat since 2006 despite increased oil and natural gas production.
API represents all segments of America's oil and natural gas industry. Our more than 600 members produce, process and distribute most of the nation's energy. The industry supports more than ten
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Sierra Club FOIA 2024-EPA-05254
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million U.S. jobs and is backed by a growing grassroots movement of millions of Americans. API was formed in 1919 as a standards-setting organization. In our first 100 years, API has developed more than 700 standards to enhance operational and environmental safety, efficiency and sustainability.
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Sierra Club FOIA 2024-EPA-05254
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