On August 13, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule rescinding the new source performance standards for methane emissions from facilities used in the production, processing, transmission, and storage of oil and natural gas. At the same time, EPA also rescinded the standard for volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from facilities used in oil and natural gas transmission and storage. Production and processing facilities remain subject to the VOC standards, which EPA claims also adequately control methane emissions, since the two pollutants are typically released together. However, in a separate rule, EPA finalized various changes to the VOC standards that limit their effectiveness in controlling pollution. Read more on our blog >>>