In a video posted on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) site this week, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the EPA “is initiating 31 historic actions”.
“I’m pleased to make the largest deregulatory announcement in U.S. history,” Zeldin said in the video.
“The Environmental Protection Agency is initiating 31 historic actions to fulfil President Trump’s promise to unleash American energy, revitalize our auto industry, restore the rule of law, and give power back to the states,” he added.
Combined, these announcements represent the most momentous day in the history of the EPA, the organization said in a statement posted on its site, which accompanied the video. It added that, “as a result of these announcements, the cost of living for American families will decrease” and said “these actions will create American jobs”.
The actions include a “reconsideration of regulations throttling the oil and gas industry”, a “reconsideration of [the] mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program”, and a “reconsideration of regulations on power plants”, the statement highlighted.
“While accomplishing EPA’s core mission of protecting the environment, the agency is committed to fulfilling President Trump’s promise to unleash American energy, lower cost of living for Americans, revitalize the American auto industry, restore the rule of law, and give power back to states to make their own decisions,” the EPA said in the statement.
In a statement posted on the American Petroleum Institute (API) website, API President and CEO Mike Sommers said, “voters sent a clear message in support of affordable, reliable and secure American energy, and the Trump administration is answering the call by moving forward on many of the priorities in API’s five-point policy roadmap”.
“As this regulatory process moves forward, we are committed to working with Administrator Zeldin on commonsense policies that advance American energy dominance,” he added.
In a statement sent to Rigzone this week, Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) President and CEO Jeff Eshelman said, “IPAA commends President Trump and Administrator Zeldin for their efforts to reform and streamline this broad set of rules and regulations”.
“Among the initiatives EPA is announcing … are reconsideration of two regulatory actions IPAA and other sectors of the industry have specifically petitioned EPA to address,” he added.
“IPAA appreciates the EPA’s effort to reconsider its Subpart OOOOb and Subpart OOOOc regulations and its Subpart W greenhouse gas reporting program affecting oil and natural gas producers,” Eshelman continued, noting that “reconsideration provides a pathway for making these regulations more cost-effective and well-structured”.
In another statement sent to Rigzone this week, Anne Bradbury, the CEO of the American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC), said, “America is stronger and more secure when we are energy dominant”.
“That dominance is maintained through the implementation of commonsense and durable energy policies,” Bradbury added.
“AXPC has long called for modifications to several EPA-administered rules so that they are workable, effective, and build on the significant emissions reductions made by American independent producers of oil and natural gas,” Bradbury continued.
“Our companies are global leaders in energy production, emissions reductions, and reporting transparency, and we commend EPA Administrator Zeldin for taking important steps to improve EPA’s regulatory framework,” Bradbury said.
In the statement, the AXPC CEO went on to state that the organization “look[s] forward to continue to work with the Trump Administration and EPA on the next step to support updating these rules so that the American people can continue to benefit from affordable, reliable, and clean made in America energy”.
In a statement posted on the Sierra Club website this week, the group criticized the EPA’s actions. Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous said in that statement that the group “will fight these outrageous rollbacks tooth and nail” and said the group “will use all resources at our disposal to continue protecting the health and safety of all Americans”.
API represents all segments of America’s natural gas and oil industry, the API notes on its site, which highlights that the organization’s “nearly 600 members produce, process and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy”.
The IPAA states on its site that it has represented independent oil and natural gas producers for more than 90 years and the AXPC describes itself on its site as a national trade association representing the leading independent oil and natural gas exploration and production companies in the United States.
The Sierra Club describes itself as America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization.
Zeldin was confirmed by the Senate to be the new Administrator of the EPA back in January, the Congress.gov website outlined. Zeldin was confirmed by the Senate in a Yea-Nay vote of 56 – 42, the site revealed.
To contact the author, email
