House Committee Meets July 11 On Letter To IRRC Opposing Final Oil & Gas Facility Methane Reduction Regulation

The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to meet July 11 on a letter to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission announcing their intent to review (and oppose) the final EQB regulation reducing VOC/Methane emissions from oil and gas facilities.

On June 14, the Environmental Quality Board voted 15 to 3, with one abstention, to adopt Part I of a revised final regulation reducing volatile organic compounds and methane emissions from just unconventional (shale gas) wells and facilities. Read more here.

The Independent Regulatory Review Commission is due to consider this regulation on July 21.

The provisions of an earlier final regulation were changed to remove requirements covering conventional, low-producing, oil and gas wells.

DEP split the regulation because the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and the IRRC expressed a concern the original final regulation did not meet the requirements of a 2016 law (Act 52) requiring separate regulations for conventional oil and gas operations.  Read more here.

Because conventional wells were removed, the regulation only results in reducing methane emissions by 20 percent and volatile organic compound emissions by 24 percent of the original combined regulation covering unconventional and conventional oil and gas facilities.  Read more here.

Without regulations covering conventional oil and gas facilities, Pennsylvania would be losing 80 percent of the methane reductions and 76 percent of the volatile organic compound emissions benefits and not complying with EPA requirements. Read more here.

DEP staff told the EQB a regulatory package covering conventional oil and gas operations should be sent to the Board for action as soon as possible, but likely in September. 

 Click Here for a copy of the draft letter. 

The Committee will meet in Room G-50 of the Irvis Building starting at 3:00 p.m.  Click Here to watch the meeting online.

Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-783-1707 or sending email to: dmetcalf@pahousegop.com. Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-7647 or sending email to: gvitali@pahouse.net. 

NewsClip:

-- PennLive: Tioga County Man Who Owns Well Versed Oilfield Services Accused Of Using $400,000 Of Federal COVID Relief Money to Buy Alabama Home

Related Article:

-- ​​EQB Adopts Part I Of Reg. Reducing Oil & Gas VOC/Methane Emissions; 80% Of Methane Emissions Come From Conventional Oil & Gas Facilities; IRRC Considers July 21

Related Articles This Week:

-- Senate Appropriations Committee Meets July 6 On Bill Exempting Conventional Oil & Gas Wells From Plugging Bonds Sticking Taxpayers With $5.1 Billion In Cleanup Liability  [PaEN]

-- PA Environmental Council/Environmental Defense Fund + 12 Other Groups: HB 2644 Unjustifiably Limits Bonding For Oil & Gas Wells, Risks Eligibility For Federal Well Plugging Funds  [PaEN]

-- Evangelical Environmental Network Urges Senate To Vote Against The HB 2644 Subsidy & Bailout For Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers - ‘Stop Rewarding Industry For Not Being Responsible’  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues 20% More NOVs To Oil & Gas Well Drillers For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them In 2nd Quarter [PaEN]

[Posted: July 6, 2022]  PA Environment Digest