ON JAN. 14, 2015, THE ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED NEW COSTLY AND BURDENSOME REGULATIONS TO CURB METHANE EMISSIONS FROM THE OIL AND NATURAL GAS SECTOR. THE NEED FOR SUCH REGULATIONS IS DEBATABLE. METHANE EMISSIONS FROM OIL AND NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION AND EXPLORATION ACCOUNT FOR ROUGHLY 1.1 TO 1.3 PERCENT OF TOTAL U.S. GREEN HOUSE GAS (GHG) EMISSIONS. SINCE 2008, U.S. SHALE GAS PRODUCTION HAS GROWN 400 PERCENT, WHILE METHANE EMISSIONS HAVE DECLINED 13.3 PERCENT. WHILE THE SPECIFIC REGULATORY PATHWAY, PRESENTLY, IS UNCLEAR, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS THE LATEST IN A YEARS-LONG EFFORT BY THE ADMINISTRATION TO IMPOSE ADDITIONAL AIR REGULATIONS ON THE OIL AND NATURAL GAS EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION SECTOR. IPAA IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND HAS UNDERTAKEN A LEGAL STRATEGY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VARIOUS POLICIES PROPOSALS. ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT BY IPAA AND ITS MEMBER COMPANIES IS NECESSARY TO MINIMIZE THE IMPOSITION OF COSTLY REGULATIONS THAT PROVIDE FEW ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS.

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