The Interstate Natural Gas Association, in comments filed Friday with the Environmental Protection Agency, expressed serious concerns with the agency’s proposal to limit methane from new and modified compressor stations.
“INGAA and its members have a long history of working with a variety of stakeholders on greenhouse gas issues, including methane… Nonetheless, INGAA has serious concerns with the rule proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency,” INGAA said in its comments. “The Proposed Rule would offer little, if any, environmental benefit compared with the more reasonable alternatives offered by INGAA.”
INGAA warned that, if finalized, the rule would impose significant costs and create a real risk for actually increasing the amount of methane released to the atmosphere because in many cases operators would be required to “blow down” pipelines or compressors to complete mandated repairs. INGAA also warned of service disruptions to natural gas customers. These costs and risks of adverse consequences are attributable in large part to the inflexible repair criteria and the lack of workable delay of repair provisions in the proposed rule.
INGAA’s comments are available: here.
