Cramer - New BLM Methane Regulations Duplicative and Burdensome

Statement

Congressman Kevin Cramer made the following comments today after the United States Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced new regulations to regulate methane emissions from flaring on federal and tribal lands across the country.

"These regulations have nothing to do with protecting the environment and everything to do with shutting down the oil and gas industry in our country, said Cramer. "The President's commitment to an extreme environmental agenda at the expense of a sound energy policy will adversely impact many businesses and cause job losses throughout the country. We do not need more regulations to limit the impact of flaring on the environment. The oil and gas industry understands the value of capturing the methane gas and using it to meet America's energy needs."

Currently the Environmental Protection Agency 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."

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