Jul 15, 2020 U.S. Oil and Natural Gas Producers: A Modernized National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Benefits All Americans
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representing the independent producers that develop 91 percent of America’s oil and natural gas wells, Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) President and CEO Barry Russell issued the following statement in response to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) updating its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations to modernize the Federal environmental review process:
“The Trump Administration has taken a bold step to modernize the NEPA process. The new rule updates 40 year old regulations by reducing unnecessary paperwork, setting timelines for environmental reviews and reduces frivolous litigation efforts designed to simply stall or delay vital infrastructure projects. Prior to this new NEPA rule, building or updating energy infrastructure on federal lands could be held up in review for years with no decision in sight. IPAA’s members fully support environmental protections, smart regulations and community input on projects. However, many times the NEPA review process takes longer to complete than it takes to actually finish a project. The time has come to modernize the outdated NEPA regulations and bring the process into the 21st Century. Developing a regulatory program that provides timely decisions brings much needed certainty to businesses and their employees who are trying to plan for the long term and assure labor, equipment and materials can be available when needed.
“IPAA also applauds the Trump Administration for taking action to spur key efficiency efforts and improve agency coordination when administering NEPA. The Administration’s proposal to condense the interagency review process and designate a lead agency for NEPA reviews is long overdue and enthusiastically welcomed. When the NEPA process results in environmentally sound, modernized infrastructure projects moving forward and being completed in a timely process, all Americans stand to benefit.”
In March, IPAA submitted comments to CEQ on the Council’s Proposed Revisions to the NEPA Implementing Regulations. In late 2019, IPAA joined 33 other organizations in writing a letter to CEQ Chair Mary Neumayr urging the Council to issue updates to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing regulations to modernize the Federal environmental review and permitting process with the goal of increasing infrastructure investment and project development in a manner that strengthens our economy and enhances environmental stewardship.
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 91 percent of the nation’s oil and natural gas wells. These companies account for 83 percent of America’s oil production, 90 percent of its natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) production, and support over 4.5 million American jobs. Learn more about IPAA by visiting www.ipaa.org and following @IPAAaccess on Twitter.
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