With a goal of enhancing coordination and communication as well as safety in domestic energy production, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sat down with states, tribes, businesses, and environmental groups to enhance coordination and promote responsible domestic production of oil and gas resources.
"This roundtable fulfills a commitment I made last year to improve EPA's working relationship with state regulators and American businesses," said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. "EPA is working closely with the states to provide clarity and certainty to oil and gas rules and permitting processes."
Last year, various compliance concerns were raised by oil and gas industry associations in Colorado and North Dakota. Pruitt said he saw a need to enhance existing relationships, eliminate duplication, and implement joint-planning processes between EPA regional offices and their counterpart state regulatory agencies.
Working together to find practical solutions to regulatory, permitting and compliance challenges, the group envisions more effective and efficient environmental outcomes. EPA continues to engage with the oil and gas sector in a separate program and increase coordination and collaboration between the agency and stakeholders to achieve positive environmental outcomes. All groups involved called the meeting productive and that the opportunities to work together were welcomed.
"The roundtable was a great start for a continuing dialogue on the appropriate roles of states and the federal government in oil and gas regulation," said Mike Smith, executive director of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.
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