Congressman Kevin Cramer announced today the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has extended the public comment period until April 22 for the recently proposed Waste Prevention rule, which changes the regulation of methane emissions from oil and natural gas production on federal and tribal lands across the country. The proposed rule was released on Jan. 22 and provided the public 60 days to comment from the date it appeared in the Federal Register on Feb. 8.
"This extension, which falls far short of what's needed, allows stakeholders some additional time to analyze the impact the proposed regulation will have and provide informed comments," said Cramer. "These regulations have nothing to do with protecting the environment and everything to do with shutting down the oil and gas industry. This BLM rule in particular is duplicative of EPA and State regulations. Plus, let's not forget the oil and gas industry already has a natural incentive to capture methane -- essentially natural gas -- and sell it in the marketplace. Federal agency data even shows methane emissions have been reduced at the same time natural gas production has increased. The BLM and other federal agencies can do more by approving rights-of-way for additional pipelines in a timely manner."
On March 17, 2016, Cramer led a letter with 13 of his House colleagues urging the BLM to extend the comment period for a minimum of 60 additional days. View the letter here.
Today, Cramer sent a letter he led with 42 of his House colleagues urging the House Appropriations Committee include language prohibiting the BLM and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing their proposed methane rules. View the letter here.
Currently the EPA and the State of North Dakota regulate air quality in the state. In a May 2014 letter, the North Dakota Industrial Commission urged the BLM to adopt flaring regulations which copy the successful ones already in place in the state. View a copy of the letter here.
According to Cramer, one of the justifications used by the administration for the implementation of these new regulations is the purported environmental and health problems associated with greenhouse gases. "Even with the dramatic increase in oil and gas development in the state there is no justification for the BLM to adopt these rules because the state's current regulations protect the environment," Cramer said. "In fact, the American Lung Association has scored all North Dakota counties with an A grade in its 2015 "State of the Air" report card. The BLM's new rules duplicate the successful regulatory efforts already in place in North Dakota and create a paperwork and compliance nightmare for many small businesses."