Western Energy Alliance and IPAA file lawsuit challenging BLM venting and flaring rule

A lawsuit recently filed by Western Energy Alliance and the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) seeks to challenge the final rule on venting and flaring from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

IPAA and Western Energy Alliance have argued that the new rule overreaches the authority of BLM, creating conflicting regulations that are incompatible with EPA requirements.

“BLM lacks statutory authority for the creation of an air quality regulatory program, which has resided with EPA and the states since the 1970’s,” Kathleen Sgamma, vice president of government and public affairs at the Alliance, said. “We support the goals of capturing greater quantities of associated gas and reducing waste gas, but overreaching regulation that fails to acknowledge industry success is not the most effective way to meet those goals.”

While IPAA and Western Energy Alliance agree that reducing emissions is an important goal, the organizations cite a lack of infrastructure and the risk of further damage to an industry already struggling in poor financial circumstances as significant barriers to successful compliance.

“The natural gas industry has delivered a 21 percent reduction in methane emissions since 1990 at the same time as increasing production by 47 percent – all without federal regulation,” Sgamma said. “We don’t need federal rules to tell us to reduce methane emissions, as it’s the very product we’re working so hard to capture and sell. The venting and flaring rule is just as egregious as BLM’s hydraulic fracturing rule, and we’re confident it will similarly be overturned by the courts.”