The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced in a Federal Register notice a revised deadline by which oil and gas operators must submit a request to use alternative calculation methods for reporting greenhouse gas emissions. The old deadline to make the request was September 30th of each year prior to the reporting year. The new deadline is June 30th. EPA noted that changing the deadline will better allow the agency to respond before the reporting year begins to those who make the request .
On January 14, 2013, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized amendments to the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE). In addition to amending several rules governing the operation of emergency engines, EPA’s final rules creates a new subcategory for existing 4-stroke spark ignition RICE with more than 500 horsepower that are area sources and where the engines are located in “remote” areas. This new subcategory covers the type of engines commonly used for natural gas production and transmission.
For engines in remote areas, the rule establishes management practices and associated testing and monitoring requirements. Additionally, for engines in populated areas, operators are required to install catalytic controls, conduct performance tests on the catalyst, and implement certain measures to control the catalyst inlet temperature. The final rule will be effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
On December 27, 2012, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced that she plans to leave her position after President Obama’s State of the Union address in early 2013. Reportedly, the list of candidates to replace Jackson includes Kathleen McGinty, former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. U.S. EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe will serve as acting administrator in the interim.
On December 21, 2012, EPA released a much-anticipated progress report as part of its major hydraulic fracturing study. EPA began research in 2011 under its “Plan to Study the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources,” in order to assess the potential impacts, if any, of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water. In the 278-page progress report, EPA outlines past and future research efforts but avoids drawing any preliminary conclusions. EPA expects to release draft research results in late 2014.