EPA Mulls Keeping or Adding Rules for Oil and Gas Air Pollution
Published Date: 4/22/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
The EPA is reviewing air pollution rules for oil and gas facilities but isn’t changing the current limits. They’re proposing new rules for some unregulated pollution sources, with two options: either no new rules or new controls for certain equipment. These changes could reduce industry costs and will be decided soon, so companies should stay alert!
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Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
No Change to Existing NESHAP Limits
If you own or operate crude oil or natural gas production, transmission, or storage facilities, the EPA is proposing not to revise the current NESHAP limits for already regulated emission points. The Agency says it did not find cost-effective changes that make revisions "necessary" under Clean Air Act section 112(d)(6).
Option to Defer Regulating New Emission Points
The EPA proposes an approach that it does not have an obligation to regulate emission points not currently covered by these NESHAP and would defer action on those points for now. Under this approach, facilities with previously unregulated emission points (for example certain storage or loading operations) would not face new NESHAP controls at this time.
Alternative: New Controls for Specific Equipment
As an alternative, the EPA proposes new standards for certain previously unregulated emission points. For production facilities (Subpart HH) this includes acid gas removal units, storage vessels without flash emissions, and transport vessel loading; for transmission and storage facilities (Subpart HHH) this includes storage vessels, transport vessel loading, and natural gas-driven controllers and pumps. The Agency expects only minimal costs (mainly recordkeeping and reporting) and says facilities could already meet these standards.
Methanol Added to Regulated HAP at Production Facilities
The EPA proposes to add methanol as a regulated hazardous air pollutant from already regulated emission points at crude oil and natural gas production facilities (Subpart HH). The proposal says this action "will result in no additional control requirements."
Narrowing 'Associated Equipment' to Reduce Burdens
The EPA proposes to amend the definition of "associated equipment" by removing the phrase "except glycol dehydrators and storage vessels." The Agency says this change would reduce burdens on industry and expects deregulatory impacts (cost savings), but it did not provide a quantitative estimate.
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