OMB Approves EPA’s ONG Sector Climate Change Reconsideration

According to the EPA’s website this action is being taken in response to a petitions by the American Petroleum Institute and American Exploration and Production Council about concerns with the final rule on “Standards of Performance for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources and Emissions Guidelines for Existing Sources: Oil and Natural Gas Sector Climate Review” published on March 8^th, 2024. In a letter sent to those entities, the EPA reports that:

“Without making a determination as to whether these two issues meet the mandatory requirements for reconsideration under CAA section 307(d)(7)(B), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is granting reconsideration on these two issues as a matter of discretion, voluntarily exercised by the EPA. We intend to issue a Federal Register notice initiating public review and comment on these issues. At this time, we are not expressing our views on the appropriateness of reconsidering any of the other issues raised in your petition, which we are continuing to review.”

This reconsideration is likely to move forward under the incoming Trump Administration, though with significantly different results than would have been expected under the Biden Administration.

 

I will not be covering this rulemaking in any detail. I do expect to report its publication in the Federal Register in the appropriate ‘Short Takes’ post.