API Testifies in EPA Methane Hearing

The American Petroleum Institute (API) highlighted this week that its vice president of upstream policy, Kevin O’Scannlain, testified during the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) public hearing on its proposed new methane regulations.

“API and its members recognize the importance of developing oil and natural gas resources responsibly and are committed to delivering solutions that reduce the risks of climate change while meeting society’s growing energy needs,” O’Scannlain said.

“We support the direct regulation of methane for new and existing sources and remain committed to working with EPA and the administration to identify emission control opportunities that are cost-effective, facilitate innovation and further the progress made in reducing emissions,” he added.

“With respect to rule implementation, we urge EPA to carefully consider the availability and cost of equipment, labor and other required resources needed to comply with the proposed standards … These aspects are especially critical in setting workable implementation timelines, given the hundreds of thousands of existing sources that may require retrofit, and current well-documented supply chain shortages,” O’Scannlain went on to say.

The EPA held a virtual public hearing from November 30 to December 2 to provide the public the opportunity to present comments and information on the agency’s proposed New Source Performance Standards and Emissions Guidelines for the oil and natural gas industry. The organization announced the new proposals on November 2.

In a statement posted on its site, the EPA noted that the proposals would expand and strengthen emissions reduction requirements that are currently on the books for new, modified and reconstructed oil and natural gas sources, and would require states to reduce methane emissions from hundreds of thousands of existing sources nationwide for the first time.

The API, which was formed in 1919, represents all segments of America’s natural gas and oil industry and its 600 members produce, process and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy, the organization’s website highlights.

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