EPA Halts Obama Emissions Rule In Review of Oil-and-Gas Impacts

As it launches a review—promised by the Trump administration—of Obama-era mandates, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on June 5 stayed for three months the 2016 requirements under the U.S. Clean Air Act New Source Performance Standards.

They regulate emissions of greenhouse gases and volatile organic compounds in oil-and-gas fracking facilities and other operations on which construction or modification began after Sept. 18, 2015.

The rules require a professional engineer to certify the design and capacity of closed-vent systems.

Industry executives claimed the mandates have no quantifiable environmental benefit. But six environmental groups on June 6 filed a U.S. appeals-court lawsuit to block the stay, claiming there was no public notice.

Mary B. Powers has reported on engineering and construction issues in the global energy and environmental sectors for more than 30 years from Washington, D.C. and Birmingham, Ala. She formerly wrote for the Platt's group of energy sector publications under McGraw Hill and S&P Global that included Inside Energy and Megawatt Daily, and was state editor for the Lexington, Ky., Herald Leader. Mary has a master’s degree in journalism from The American University.

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