Member Login
 

Letters & Comments

Letters and Comments Aug 21, 2018

Since its enactment, requirements involving NEPA have grown considerably and place a heavy burden on independent oil and gas producers operating on federal lands.  As more than forty years of experience with implementing NEPA have demonstrated, overly broad NEPA reviews add unreasonable costs and delays to projects.  While the Act has remained unchanged, court decisions, Executive Orders and regulations have defined and significantly expanded the scope of NEPA.

Letters and Comments Aug 14, 2018

The organizations filing these comments support the Environmental Protection Agency’s and the Army Corps of Engineers’ proposal to repeal the 2015 Rule Defining Waters of the United States (“2015 Rule”), and many have submitted individual comment letters detailing reasons for supporting the proposal. This letter separately addresses an issue of particular importance to the trade groups: the effect of the Supreme Court’s decision in Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 531 U.S. 159 (2001) (“SWANCC”). As EPA and the Corps move forward with this rulemaking, the agencies must recognize the limitations SWANCC imposes on jurisdiction.

Letters and Comments Jul 25, 2018

Pursuant to the April 19, 2018, Notice of Inquiry, issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“Commission”) in the above-referenced docket, the Independent Petroleum Association of America (“IPAA”) hereby respectfully submits the following comments on Certification of New Interstate Natural Gas Facilities. IPAA urges the Commission to retain its policies that have served the regulated community and the public by approving construction of pipelines that have allowed for increased consumption of natural gas while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Letters and Comments Jul 25, 2018

Dear Chairman McIntyre: We are writing you on behalf of the Natural Gas Council (NGC) to express our views in connection with the referenced Notice of Inquiry (NOI) issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission), in Docket No. PL18-1-000. Formed in 1992, the NGC unites all sectors of the natural gas industry to work together toward common goals.

Letters and Comments Jul 19, 2018

Dear Secretary Zinke: The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) is dedicated to supporting and promoting the safe and responsible development of our nation’s abundant energy resources. One of the keys to increasing American oil and natural gas production is to have a reasonable and predictable regulatory program for energy production on federal lands. Effective reorganization of the Department of the Interior (DOI) will help the nation improve management of public lands throughout the United States and support President Trump’s efforts to reduce administrative and jurisdictional barriers throughout the federal government.

Letters and Comments Jul 10, 2018

Dear Chairman Gosar: The Independent Petroleum Association of America writes to express its support for the nine bills included in the Congressional Western Caucus Endangered Species Act Modernization Package. IPAA believes both exploration and development of America’s oil and natural gas resources and conservation can coexist through reasonable and balanced wildlife policy. This legislative package would aid in the modernization of the 1973 Endangered Species Act and benefit not only the regulated community, but further enhance protection of endangered plants and animals across the United States.

Letters and Comments Jul 2, 2018

Dear Deputy Director Chapman: This document provides comments from the IPAA in response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA’s” or “the Agency’s”) request for comments on its proposed changes to EPA’s 2000 policy titled “Incentives for Self-Policing: Discovery, Disclosure, Correction and Prevention of Violations” (the “Audit Policy”) for new owners of oil and natural gas exploration and production facilities and, in particular, the Agency’s Draft Standard Audit Policy Agreement (“Draft Agreement”). IPAA believes that the Audit Policy is an important tool in furtherance of environmental compliance and appreciates EPA’s interest in expanding its use by proposing to adopt a more flexible approach to eligibility and administration.

Letters and Comments Jun 21, 2018

Dear Administrator Rao, The public relies on smart regulations to set clear rules that support a clean environment, safe workplaces, and a better quality of life. At the same time, every regulation comes with a price tag, and those costs matter – especially to small businesses and local communities. Cost-benefit analysis, although not perfect, is the best tool agencies have available to them to ensure that regulations promote the public good and do more good than harm. We believe the time has come for EPA to reexamine its statutory interpretations, and unless prohibited by statute, implement its regulatory statutes through cost-benefit balancing.

Letters and Comments Jun 19, 2018

Dear Chairman Bishop, The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) appreciates the opportunity to speak in favor of the common-sense onshore regulatory reform bills before the Committee for markup. IPAA is the leading, national upstream trade association representing thousands of independent oil and natural gas producers, as well as the service and supply industries that support their efforts across the United States. Many IPAA member companies – small businesses with an average of 12 employees – actively produce oil and natural gas from leases on federally-controlled lands throughout the Intermountain West.

Letters and Comments Jun 18, 2018

Dear Chairmen and Ranking Members: The undersigned organizations represent a broad array of U.S. manufacturers, retailers, technology companies, farmers and agribusinesses and other supply chain stakeholders. We are writing to express our deep and increasing concern with the direction of America’s trade policy. In particular, we see the growing willingness of the current Administration to use tariffs (and the related use of absolute import quotas) as a major policy tool in an increasing number of trade disputes with our allies as a trend that needs to be addressed by Congress. There are valid reasons for Congress to have delegated significant authority to the President in order to address unfair trade practices and liberalize world trade. However, this extensive unilateral use of tariffs by the Executive Branch is upsetting the historic balance between Congressional and Executive powers, which has worked effectively for many decades to strengthen our economy and grow export opportunities for American manufacturers, service providers, ranchers and farmers, and needs to be reassessed.

IPAA is the industry's strongest presence in the nation's capital and these are important times. The entire oil and gas industry remains under fire from anti-development groups; but with these challenges arise unique opportunities that IPAA is seizing for our members.