North Dakota v. EPA (methane)
Citation: State of North Dakota. v. U.S. EPA, No. 16-1242 (D.C. Cir. 2016)
On June 3, 2016, EPA established New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for emissions of methane (a potent greenhouse gas) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from new, modified and reconstructed sources in the oil and natural gas sector.
Fifteen states and a number of industry petitioners challenged this rule. Eleven states and a number of environmental organizations intervened in support of EPA. On January 4, 2017, challenges to this rule were consolidated with challenges to earlier EPA NSPS for the same industrial sector addressing different pollutants under case No. 13-1108. On April 7, 2017, EPA filed a motion requesting the cases be held in abeyance until after EPA has reviewed the 2016 rule in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order instructing EPA to review a number of energy and climate change-related rules. On April 17, state intervenors filed a response opposing EPA’s motion.