Apr 22, 2016 IPAA Submits Comments on Proposed BLM Venting and Flaring Rule
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), representing America’s thousands of independent oil and natural gas companies and the service and supply industries that support their efforts, submitted formal comments today on the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposed waste prevention and resource conservation rule on venting and flaring gas. Joining IPAA in its comments were Western Energy Alliance, American Exploration and Production Council (AXPC), and the U.S. Oil and Gas Association (USOGA). In their comments, the energy trade associations underscore how U.S. oil and natural gas companies will be directly be affected by the added burdensome requirements that the proposed rule seeks to impose.
Dan Naatz, IPAA Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Political Affairs, issued the following statement upon filing the comments:
“This proposed rule is an arbitrary attempt at regulating air, which is outside the scope of jurisdiction held by the BLM. The rule also conflicts with regulations that are currently going through the rulemaking process within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At a time when market forces are already creating economic challenges for the U.S. oil and natural gas industry, this proposed rule adds additional regulatory uncertainty for companies that are struggling to stay in business and keep Americans employed. Independent oil and natural gas producers are good stewards of our public and private lands. They would not choose to waste this valuable, clean-burning resource that could economically be brought to market. Producers have every incentive to capture and sell their product to consumers – ensuring a fair return to the American taxpayers – rather than let it escape in the atmosphere. If constraints on U.S. energy infrastructure and pipelines were properly addressed, companies would have far fewer reasons to vent or flare associated gas apart from safety concerns.”
Read the trade associations’ full joint comments HERE.
About the Independent Petroleum Association of America
The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) is a national upstream trade association representing thousands of independent oil and natural gas producers and service companies across the United States. Independent producers develop 90 percent of the nation’s oil and natural gas wells. These companies account for 54 percent of America’s oil production, 85 percent of its natural gas production, and support over 2.1 million American jobs.
