Letters & Comments

Letters and Comments Feb 24, 2017

Dear Congressman Tipton: The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) strongly supports your efforts to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to vacate the Department of the Interior Office of Natural Resource Revenue’s (ONRR) royalty valuation rule (81 FR 43338-01 July 1, 2016). The ONRR rule imposes significant compliance costs on independent producers and is designed to make operating on federal and tribal lands overly complex and costly. This rule will hamper the ability of independent producers operating both onshore and offshore and will ultimately reduce the amount of oil and natural gas produced on America’s federal lands.

Letters and Comments Feb 22, 2017

Dear Acting Secretary Haugrud, Acting Director Kurth, and Regional Director Tuggle: On behalf of the American Stewards of Liberty and the Independent Petroleum Association of America, we write to inform you of our intent to file a civil suit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“Service”) pursuant to the citizen suit provision of the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”), 16 U.S.C. § 1540(g). We provide this letter to you pursuant to the 60-day notice requirement of the ESA citizen suit provision. Specifically, the basis for the intended lawsuit is that the Service has failed to timely make its required 12-month finding on the petition to delist the American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) in accordance with 16 U.S.C. § 1533(b)(3)(B).

Letters and Comments Feb 17, 2017

The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) submits the following comments in response to the Interim Final Rule (IFR) issued on December 19, 2016, by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) in Docket No. PHMSA-2016-0016. IPAA represents the companies that drill 90 percent of the nation’s oil and natural gas wells. These companies produce 85 percent of American natural gas and 54 percent of American oil. IPAA members represent the full range of producers, from small family-owned businesses, to the large independent companies that are some of the largest domestic natural gas producers. IPAA’s comments focus on the need for PHMSA to clarify that its underground gas storage regulations do not apply to storage associated with production.

Letters and Comments Feb 6, 2017

Dear Majority Leader McConnell and Democratic Leader Schumer: The undersigned 616 groups from each of the 50 states strongly urge you to consider and pass the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017 (RAA), to be introduced by Senator Portman. The RAA recently passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 238-183, and now we urge you to do the same. We believe that federal regulations should be narrowly tailored, supported by strong and credible data and evidence, and impose the least burden possible, while implementing congressional intent.

Letters and Comments Feb 2, 2017

Dear Mr. President: We write to you regarding the imminent lack of a quorum at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”), which will occur upon the departure of Commissioner Norman C. Bay, effective February 3, 2017. The absence of a quorum will leave the agency unable to tackle much of its important work promoting energy infrastructure for the benefit of U.S. energy consumers.

Letters and Comments Jan 30, 2017

IPAA submitted joint comments with API, the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, and Western Energy Alliance stating that the best scientific and commercial information available demonstrates that the Lesser Prairie Chicken (LPC) does not meet the Endangered Species Act’s (ESA) definitions of either a threatened or endangered species. As outlined in the comments, the Trades believe that the best scientific and commercial information available demonstrate that the LPC does not meet the ESA’s definitions of either a threatened or endangered species. LPC abundance has rebounded from historic lows, and through a combination of public and private efforts, the LPC is now better protected than at any previous time. A listing as threatened or endangered will not provide any additional conservation benefits above what already exists.

Letters and Comments Jan 25, 2017

Dear Mr. Speaker, On behalf of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and our 9,000 members who develop over 90 percent of the nation’s oil and natural gas wells, I would like to express our strong support for use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Waste Production, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation rule (commonly referred to as the BLM methane Venting and Flaring Rule). The Joint Resolution will nullify the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rule by the same name published in the Federal Register on November 18, 2016.

Letters and Comments Jan 18, 2017

Dear Speaker Ryan: On behalf of the members of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming (PAW) and the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), we would like to express our support for use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal the unnecessarily burdensome regulations finalized during the Obama Administration. Among those of great concern to our industry is the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Final Rule on Resource Management Planning which is more commonly referred to as “Planning 2.0” (RIN: 1004-AE39). We respectfully request that the House allow Floor consideration of a joint resolution of disapproval for this Rule.

Letters and Comments Jan 11, 2017

The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) submits the following comments as part of the public hearing on the Bayou Bridge Pipeline, scheduled for January 12, 2017. IPAA represents the thousands of companies that drill 95 percent of America’s onshore and offshore oil and natural gas wells. America’s independents produce 54 percent of American oil and produce 85 percent of American natural gas. IPAA members rely on a strong, safe network of pipelines to transport crude oil, natural gas, and their associated products to consumers.

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.