In May of 2018 STRONGER began seeking input from stakeholders on updating the Air Quality Guidelines to include methane emissions from upstream oil and gas operations. A multi-stakeholder workgroup comprised of representatives of industry operators, state and federal regulators, and environmental organizations worked collaboratively over several months from 2018 to 2019 to evaluate and update the Air Quality Guidelines, which originally contemplated only VOC and HAP emissions. Public comments were solicited on the draft, and many comments were incorporated into the final document. Twenty-nine environmental, clean business, and conservation organizations signed a letter voicing support for the update and the State Review Process.
On March 21, 2019 the STRONGER Board voted unanimously to adopt the workgroup’s revisions to the Air Quality Guidelines. The update will be included in the 2019 Edition Guidelines for Review of State Oil and Gas Environmental Regulatory Programs. The Air Quality Guidelines “methane update” is another step forward for STRONGER’s work enhancing protection of human health and the environment. STRONGER encourages states to volunteer for State Reviews under the updated Guidelines.
Read the Letter of Support View the 2019 Air Quality Guidelines