Ben Shepperd,
PBPA President
Members, as all of you are keenly aware, there is no shortage of issues that PBPA is working on at the federal and state level. In both Texas and New Mexico, there are a litany of state challenges that we are working through with our regulatory committee to tackle and we greatly appreciate your work and the work of your delegates on these committees. The reality for our association is that we are only as good as the feedback that we can gather from our member companies.
We are your voice.
In order for your voice to be heard and effective, we need your robust participation and regulatory knowledge. And no more so than now.
PBPA is currently working on several very important issues at the federal level that have the potential to impact the Permian Basin in many ways. The Environmental Protection Agency, the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and more have all begun important efforts to target oil and gas production in the Permian Basin.
The EPA has continued their efforts on “Quad O” rulemaking, or the methane emissions standards for oil and gas operators, and PBPA has been working aggressively to communicate the perspective of oil and gas operators, large and small. In addition to the methane tax provisions of the “Inflation Reduction Act,” this issue continues to be of the upmost importance and one that we have been leading on with help from PBPA member companies as well as advocacy groups across the country.
Additionally, PBPA is currently soliciting feedback on the new Greenhouse Gas Reporting requirements that EPA is proposing and our working group is meeting regularly to gain clarity on the proposal as well as ensure that these new requirements actually achieve their intended purpose in the most practical manner. If you would like to assist in this effort, please reach out to us and we will be happy to include you.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), under the Department of the Interior, have also been aggressive in their new leasing proposals and are currently awaiting comments from PBPA members. This is yet another effort where your expertise can help inform our actions with the BLM. There is no question that these proposals will have immediate impact on those who operate on federal lands.
As we have discussed frequently, the ongoing weaponization of the Endangered Species Act continues and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has moved forward with proposals to list as endangered in the Permian Basin both the Lesser Prairie Chicken and the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard. Together these listings represent a diverse set of challenges and PBPA stands ready to push back in comments as well as with separate legal efforts. Your support of these efforts is vital to maintain the precedent of our position, as well as limit the overreaching impacts that the USFWS seeks to achieve through these listings.
And while this is certainly not last on anyone’s list, the potential for the EPA to seek a non-attainment designation for the Permian Basin continues to exist. This is by far one of the most important issues that we will continue to monitor through EPA in Washington D.C., Region 6 in Dallas, as well as through our state partners at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
As you can very well see, and despite not listing a great many other issues, PBPA remains active on the front lines to ensure that the Permian Basin oil and gas industry can produce vital energy for America and our allies for generations to come. We thank you for your support and encourage you to reach out to others to join in our collective voice and defend those who live, work, create jobs, and raise families in the greatest oil and gas basin in the free world.