Background on the Information Collection Request for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry

March 2, 2017 -- EPA has withdrawn the 2016 information request for the oil and gas industry, effective immediately. If you received a letter requiring you to fill out a survey, you are no longer required to respond. Survey recipients who have questions may contact the ICR help desk at 888-372-8696, or by email icr@epa.gov.

On Nov. 10, 2016, EPA issued a final Information Collection Request (ICR) seeking information needed to help the agency determine how to best reduce methane and other harmful emissions from existing sources in the large and complex oil and natural gas industry. The final ICR reflects a number of changes made based on comments about on two drafts of the ICR, issued for public review and comment earlier this year.

Background Information on the ICR, including information on the first and second drafts, is below.

Final Information Collection Request (ICR) for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry

Nov. 10, 2016 - EPA issued a final Information Collection Request (ICR) seeking information needed to help the agency determine how to best reduce methane and other harmful emissions from existing sources in the large and complex oil and natural gas industry. The final ICR reflects a number of changes made based on comments on two drafts of the ICR, issued for public review and comment earlier this year.

Second Draft Information Collection Request (ICR) for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry

Sept. 23, 2016 - EPA issued the second draft of an Information Collection Request (ICR) to require oil and natural gas companies to provide extensive information needed to develop regulations to reduce methane emissions from existing oil and gas sources. The second draft reflects a number of changes EPA made based on comments the agency received on a draft ICR announced in May.

First Draft Information Collection Request for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry

May 12, 2016 - EPA issued the first draft of an Information Collection Request (ICR) to require oil and natural gas companies to provide extensive information needed to develop regulations to reduce methane emissions from existing oil and gas sources. In addition, the agency announced plans to issue a Request for Information to seek information on innovative strategies that can accurately and cost-effectively locate, measure and mitigate methane emissions.

EPA moves to regulate existing sources of methane emissions in the oil and natural gas industry

March 10, 2016 – The Obama Administration and EPA announce the next step in reducing emissions of methane from the oil and natural gas industry: moving to regulate emissions from existing sources. The agency will begin with a formal process to require companies operating existing oil and gas sources to provide information to assist in the development of comprehensive regulations to reduce methane emissions.