Press Releases

Today, Rep. Jodey C. Arrington (TX-19) and nine of his House colleagues, sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan urging him to postpone any rulemaking regarding the New Source Performance Standards and Emissions Guidelines for the oil and gas industry until the Department of Energy releases its study on methane emissions from marginal oil and gas wells.

In the letter, the signers wrote:

“Approximately 75 percent of the existing oil and natural gas wells in the United States are low producing wells. Any regulatory change will affect the business of thousands of operators, their dependents, as well as state and local revenues that rely on robust energy production.”

“To ensure the EPA promulgates a rule relating to emissions in good faith, publication must be postponed until the ongoing study is finalized, and the study’s findings must be taken into consideration during the drafting process.”

“It is vital that New Source Performance Standards and Emissions Guidelines for the oil and gas sector be cost-effective, reasonable, and based on the best available information.”

Signers of this letter include Rep. Kevin Brady (TX-8), Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11), Rep. Ronny L. Jackson (TX-13), Rep. Clay Higgins (LA-3), Rep. Ron Estes (KS-4), Rep. Roger Williams (TX-25), and Rep. Jake Ellzey (TX-10), Rep. Randy Weber (TX-29), Rep. Dan Crenshaw (TX-2), Rep. Van Taylor (TX-3), Rep. Brian Babin (TX-36), and Rep. Beth Van Duyne (TX-24).

“Federal law has repeatedly recognized and protected businesses and property owners from onerous regulation targeting de minimis emission sources. Unfortunately, all signs point to EPA rushing to meet arbitrary political deadlines by imposing new burdens on existing facilities to control trace methane emissions. Alliance members thank Congressman Arrington and his colleagues for urging EPA to take in the full science on this issue before adopting new regulations that raise costs on American producers and make the US more dependent on foreign sources of oil.” – Jason Modglin, President, Texas Alliance of Energy Producers

“In meetings with the Administration, IPAA has highlighted the need for the Emissions Guidelines proposal to be delayed until the federally funded Department of Energy study of the marginal well emissions profile is completed in December 2021. Since this study will report on the sources of emissions at low production wells, it should be included in developing any emissions guidelines. Proposing Emissions Guidelines to meet an arbitrary political deadline while disregarding important new scientific information would be inappropriate. IPAA appreciates Rep. Arrington's leadership in further reiterating the need for this information to the EPA.” – Lee Fuller, Independent Petroleum Association of America, Office of Environment & General Strategy

Click here to read the full letter.

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Congressman Jodey Arrington is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives serving the Nineteenth Congressional District of Texas. He serves as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.