WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced March 2 that it is withdrawing its request that owners and operators in the oil and natural gas industry provide information on equipment and emissions at existing oil and gas operations, effective immediately.
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt noted he plans to assess the need for information the agency had been collecting. The decision to withdraw the request comes after a letter received March 1 from nine state attorneys general and the governors of Mississippi and Kentucky. The letter’s authors urged the EPA to withdraw the request, citing concerns.
“By taking this step, EPA is signaling that we take these concerns seriously and are committed to strengthening our partnership with the states,” Pruitt said. “Today’s action will reduce burdens on businesses while we take a closer look at the need for additional information from this industry.”
The EPA’s previous administration had sent letters to more than 15,000 owners and operators in the oil and gas industry mandating that they send certain information about their emissions.