Reducing Emissions of Methane and Other Pollution from Oil and Natural Gas Operations (40 CFR Part 60, Subparts OOOOb and OOOOc)
Methane, the primary component of natural gas, has been identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the second-most prevalent greenhouse gas emitted in the United States from human activities.
With federal estimates that the natural gas and oil industries account for a quarter of U.S. methane emissions, reducing methane leaks from the oil and gas sector is one of the essential steps needed to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the impacts of climate change.
In March 2024 EPA finalized a federal rule to reduce emissions of methane and other pollution from oil and natural gas operations and related actions. The rule includes New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) to reduce methane and smog-forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from new, modified and reconstructed sources (OOOOb). It also included Emissions Guidelines (OOOOc), which set procedures for states to follow as they develop plans to limit methane from existing sources. The EPA expects the new rule to reduce methane emissions by 80%.
DEP is finalizing a State Plan that details the implementation and enforcement plan for the EPA’s New Source Performance Standards and Emissions Guidelines for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from oil and natural gas facilities.
What's New
The Bureau of Air Quality (BAQ) is conducting meaningful engagement efforts to hear from stakeholders their feedback on the State Plan. BAQ presented details of the State Plan at regularly scheduled Advisory Committee meetings. To review the presentations, follow the links below:
- Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee, October 10, 2024 and February 6, 2025
- Small Business Compliance Advisory Committee, October 23, 2024 and February 26, 2025
- The joint meeting of the Citizens Advisory Committee and Environmental Justice Advisory Board, November 12, 2024
- Oil & Gas Technical Advisory Board, December 5, 2024
- Grade Crude Development Advisory Committee, December 12, 2024(opens in a new tab)
Webinar
April 1, 2025
The DEP's Bureau of Air Quality held a webinar to provide an overview to the public on the Department's approach to implementing 40 CFR Part 60, Subparts OOOOb and OOOOc): Reducing Emissions of Methane and Other Pollution from Oil and Natural Gas Operations.
Presentation: PowerPoint Presentation
Feedback
We want to hear from you! Submit your feedback to the State Plan through the link below. Please note, that this will not be considered as a part of the official public comment period.
https://forms.office.com/g/6TyWKmG6tV
Public Hearings
The Department intends to hold regional public hearings and one virtual public hearing. Regional public hearings will be held in the Northeast, Northwest, Northcentral, Southwest, Southeast, and Southcentral Offices. Please refer back to this webpage or the Pennsylvania Bulletin(opens in a new tab) once the public comment period is open for details on location and times.
How to submit written public comments
Coming Soon! Please refer to eComment(opens in a new tab) when the public comment period opens to review the State Plan documents and submit written public comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
The rule applies to wells (conventional and unconventional), centrifugal compressors, reciprocating compressors, pneumatic controllers, pneumatic pumps, storage vessels, fugitive emissions components, super emitter emissions events, and process unit equipment involved in oil and natural gas operations.
The rule is designed to limit methane pollution by using advanced technology, limiting flaring, conducting inspections to detect leaks, closing wells scheduled for closure, and various other mechanisms.
The federal rule has two parts. One, is the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for new, modified and reconstructed sources (OOOOb). The DEP has adopted OOOOb through incorporation by reference. Any new, modified, or reconstructed sources after December 6, 2022 will be required to implement the NSPS through the DEPs existing permitting process.
The second part are Emissions Guidelines for existing sources constructed prior to December 6, 2022 (OOOOc). To adopt the Emissions Guidelines, Pennsylvania will develop and submit a State Plan to the EPA based on the Model Rule.
A state plan is a written agreement between a state and the federal government that outlines how the state will implement, enforce, or achieve compliance with a specific federal program. It is often used in contexts where federal regulations provide overarching requirements but allow states some flexibility in tailoring implementation to local needs and conditions. In this case, the “Methane Rule” (Subpart OOOOc Emissions Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Existing Crude Oil and Natural Gas Facilities) is the federal program to reduce methane emissions, and the state plan is Pennsylvania’s written plan of action to administer the program.
A state plan is different than a State Implementation Plan (SIP), which is broader and addresses how states will achieve and maintain compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in a region. It requires various components such as modeling, monitoring, and specific control measures.
A state plan must include compliance schedules for each designated facility; standards of performance for designated facilities; performance testing, monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements; documentation of meaningful engagement on the plan; certification that the required hearing on the state plan was held, a list of witnesses and their organizational affiliations, if any, appearing at the hearing, and a brief written summary of each presentation or written submission; provision for state progress reports to EPA; identification of enforceable state mechanisms that you selected for implementing the emission guidelines; and demonstration of Pennsylvania’s legal authority to carry out the Clean Air Act section 111(d) state plan.
The Department met with industry, environmental, non-governmental, community, and public health stakeholders to hear their feedback on the state plan. Additionally, the Department presented and took questions from members of the Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee, Small Business Compliance Committee, Grade Crude Development Advisory Committee, and the Oil & Gas Technical Advisory Board during the development of this proposed state plan.
The Department will be hosting a webinar for the public to learn more about the details of the state plan. Details of the webinar will be posted to this webpage.
The Department will publish the state plan for public comments and five regional public hearings and one virtual public hearing. The regional public hearings will be held in the Northeast, Northwest, Northcentral, Southwest, and Central offices.
The EPA determined in the final rule - 40 CFR Part 60 Subparts OOOOb and OOOOc – what qualifies as a designated facility.
The DEP is planning to develop a General Permit concept to enforce this federal rule. The GP will be available for public comment separately from the state plan. The Department will submit the GP to EPA as a part of the state plan.
Under the Remaining Useful Life and Other Factors (RULOF) mechanism, states may apply a standard of performance to a particular designated facility that is less stringent than the general requirements of OOOOc.
Under the RULOF mechanism, states may apply a standard of performance to a particular designated facility that is less stringent than the general requirements of OOOOc. RULOF requires that the reduced standard be no less stringent than necessary to address the fundamental differences of the facility and the information the EPA considered in determining the degree of emissions limitations for OOOOc.
To use RULOF, facilities must submit a demonstration to the department for evaluation to determine whether a less stringent standard is applicable. These demonstrations must show that facilities cannot reasonably achieve the degree of emission limitation based on one or more of the following:
- unreasonable cost of control resulting from plant age, location or basic process design;
- physical impossibility or technical infeasibility of installing necessary control equipment; or
- other factors specific to the facility
EPA’s Super Emitter Program was designed with a focus on new and existing sources where methane emissions events exceeding 100 kilograms (220.5 lbs) per hour have been identified.
This program specifically involves third-party monitoring groups, who will use remote sensing technologies to detect and collect data on these large emissions events. Third parties are not authorized to enter facilities. After third parties submit data, EPA then reviews the data and contacts owner/operators, who must then investigate and make repairs.
The Super Emitter Program is completely under EPA’s purview. Sources subject to OOOOc are covered under the SEP and may be surveyed by third parties, as the program affects both new and existing sources.
The EPA may impose a federal plan which may be more stringent than the emissions guidelines set forth by Pennsylvania.
Owners and operators have until the first quarter of 2029 to become compliant.