Agency revises flaring and monitoring requirements while citing reduced costs and increased operational flexibility for energy producers.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Environmental Protection Agency announced revisions to a 2024 Clean Air Act rule governing oil and gas operations, estimating the changes will reduce industry compliance costs by $2.5 billion over 15 years.
In an April 6 statement, the agency described the previous regulation as “burdensome” and said the updated rule is intended to provide operators with greater flexibility while maintaining environmental protections. Officials estimate the revisions will save approximately $208 million annually, with projected downstream effects on energy prices.
The updated rule focuses on two primary regulatory areas, beginning with limits on temporary flaring during maintenance. The 2024 rule, implemented during the Joe Biden administration, restricted such flaring to 24 hours. Under the revised standard, operators may now flare for up to 72 hours, with additional time permitted under specific conditions, including staffing shortages, severe weather or supply chain disruptions.
The second revision alters requirements for monitoring the net heating value of vent gas from flaring and combustion systems. Instead of continuous monitoring, operators are now required to conduct sampling only in situations where inert gases are present or under certain defined circumstances. The agency also removed a separate monitoring requirement tied to associated gases.
According to the EPA, these changes could reduce the number of required tests by as many as 141,000 annually, totaling approximately 1.9 million fewer tests over a 15-year period.
The agency said the revisions followed feedback from industry stakeholders and formal petitions seeking reconsideration of the original rule.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the changes are intended to balance environmental protection with economic growth. “My predecessors weaponized environmental regulations to regulate the oil and gas industry out of existence. We are taking another step to fix those mistakes while proving we can both protect human health and the environment and grow the economy at the same time,” Zeldin said.
“Making rules workable for owners and operators advances American energy dominance, lowers cost for American families, and ensures the United States is providing better and cleaner energy,” he added.
The original 2024 rule had been projected to deliver environmental and public health benefits. A prior EPA fact sheet estimated the regulation would prevent 58 million tons of methane emissions between 2024 and 2038, along with 16 million tons of volatile organic compounds associated with smog formation. The agency at the time estimated total climate and health benefits between $97 billion and $98 billion over that period.
The revised rule comes amid broader regulatory changes under Donald Trump’s administration. On Feb. 12, federal officials announced the elimination of a 2009 EPA endangerment finding that had identified six greenhouse gases—including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide—as threats to public health and the climate.
That finding had formed the legal basis for multiple federal regulations, including vehicle emissions standards and methane limits. Speaking at the time, Trump said the restrictions contributed to rising vehicle costs, stating they had driven up prices while reducing vehicle quality.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said rescinding the finding was expected to reduce automobile costs by an average of $2,400 per vehicle.
The EPA also announced the termination of a greenhouse gas credit program tied to automatic start-stop systems in vehicles. The agency said the program had incentivized automakers to install the feature widely, despite reported consumer dissatisfaction.
Officials stated that removing the credit program would allow manufacturers to better align vehicle features with consumer preferences.
The regulatory revisions mark one of several recent actions aimed at scaling back environmental rules affecting the energy and automotive sectors, reflecting a shift in federal policy priorities.