Sens. Moran, Marshall Urge EPA to Reduce Burdensome Regulations on Small Oil & Gas Producers

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.) today urged the Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Office of Air and Radiation, Aaron Szabo, to increase flexibility for small oil and gas producers as the agency revises its methane regulations.

"The independent oil and gas producers across our state are typically small, family-owned businesses, operating companies, and royalty owners, in contrast to the vertically integrated 'majors,' " wrote the senators. "In turn, the regulation should reflect the fact that oil and natural gas from these independent wells, known as 'stripper' wells, emit negligible levels of methane that fall below federal regulatory requirements."

"With the current costs associated with federal, state, and local regulations, the added burden of certain environmental regulations that offer little to no returned benefit to the environment is not justified," the senators continued. "We want to do all we can to ensure our economy continues to grow and our nation's energy independence is maintained through the continued success of the small businesses that are our independent oil and gas operators."

Full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Aaron Szabo
Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation
Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004

Dear Assistant Administrator Szabo:

Thank you for your work to bolster American energy production, lower consumer prices, and support responsible oil and gas production through sensible regulation at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Our state is home to thousands of independent oil and gas producers that provide a significant number of jobs across rural America and directly bolster domestic energy production. In order to allow those independent producers to continue producing energy and growing their businesses, we write to urge you to ensure minimum adverse impact and maximum flexibility for small oil and gas producers as you revise the 2025 Interim Final Rule for Standards of Performance for Crude Oil and Natural Gas Facilities for Which Construction, Modification or Reconstruction Commenced After December 6, 2022, 40 CFR part 60, subparts OOOOb and OOOOc.

As you know, the current regulations set terms for quantifying methane emissions to meet EPA testing and inspection requirements required of all oil and gas operations. We are grateful that EPA is evaluating ways to address the concerns of traditional energy producers and mitigate burdensome requirements. As you do so, it is important to note that not all oil and gas operations are created equally. The independent oil and gas producers across our state are typically small, family-owned businesses, operating companies, and royalty owners, in contrast to the large vertically integrated "majors." In turn, the regulation should reflect the fact that oil and natural gas from these independent wells, also known as "stripper" wells, emit negligible levels of methane that fall below federal regulatory requirements.

These businesses are dedicated stewards of their land and understand the importance of balancing the economic impact of their operations with environmental protection. With the current costs associated with federal, state, and local regulations, the added burden of certain environmental regulations that offer little to no returned benefit to the environment is not justified. We want to do all we can to ensure our economy continues to grow and our nation's energy independence is maintained through the continued success of the small businesses that are our independent oil and gas operators. Thank you for your consideration.

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