View Information Collection Request (ICR) Package

OMB Control No: 2060-0722	ICR Reference No: 202409-2060-011
Status: Received in OIRA	Previous ICR Reference No: 202107-2060-005
Agency/Subagency: EPA/OAR	Agency Tracking No: 2547.03
Title: EPA’s Voluntary Methane Challenge and Natural Gas STAR Programs (Renewal)
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular	Date Submitted to OIRA: 10/02/2024

	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	36 Months From Approved	12/31/2025
Responses	10	140
Time Burden (Hours)	3	4,859
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0

Abstract: The oil and natural gas industry is the second largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions in the U.S., according to the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2022. Methane is the primary component of natural gas and a potent greenhouse gas. Since 1993, the US Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) Natural Gas STAR Program has encouraged oil and natural gas companies to adopt cost-saving technologies and practices that improve operational efficiency and reduce methane emissions. This non-regulatory Program supported Partner companies in making voluntary efforts to implement recommended technologies and report related methane emissions reductions to EPA. In 2016, EPA launched a new program--the Methane Challenge Program. This Program leveraged the methane-reducing best practices and technologies developed by the industry and showcased through the Natural Gas STAR Program over the past 20+ years and created a mechanism for oil and natural gas companies to make ambitious, voluntary commitments to reduce their methane emissions. Methane Challenge Partners submitted detailed data to the Program each year so EPA, and the public, could track the progress Partners are making towards these commitments. EPA has recently taken historic steps to tackle wasteful methane emissions from the oil and gas sector beyond voluntary action. The Inflation Reduction Act directed EPA to implement a suite of actions to swiftly reduce methane emissions through the creation of the Methane Emissions Reductions Program (MERP). On December 2, 2023, EPA announced final New Source Performance Standards and Emissions Guidelines (NSPS/EG) to regulate the oil and gas industry under the Clean Air Act, resulting in ambitious requirements to reduce methane from both new and existing sources. The Department of Transportation has also imposed requirements on the transmission segment including implementation of the PIPES Act of 2020. Based on the limited remaining potential for voluntary actions to reduce methane emissions, EPA will be sunsetting the Methane Challenge Partnership, and transitioning its outreach efforts to advance ambitious, sector-wide methane reductions through technical assistance and outreach under the Methane Emissions Reduction Program. This follows EPAs sunsetting of the partnership agreements, implementation plans, and the reporting component of the Natural Gas STAR Program in 2022. Updating the ICR for the Methane Challenge and the Natural Gas STAR programs to reflect these programmatic changes is expected to significantly decrease burden by removing all partner reporting and partnership related data sharing aspects. The sole programmatic element involving voluntary collection of information the EPA plans to retain is the Oil and Gas Equipment and Service Providers Directory. This directory's purpose is to share information about service and technology providers that can facilitate methane emission reduction activities in the oil and gas sector. For this revision, EPA proposes to remove all partnership aspects and related information collection forms for both the Methane Challenge Program and the Natural Gas STAR Program. This includes the removal of annual reporting forms, partnership agreements, and implementation plans. The only information collection EPA proposes to retain under this ICR revision is for the Oil and Gas Equipment and Service Providers Directory. These changes will result in a significant overall decrease in burden for this ICR number.

Authorizing Statute(s): None

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	89 FR 48164	06/05/2024
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	89 FR 79584	09/30/2024
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? Yes

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Request	Previously Approved	Change Due to Agency Discretion
Annual Number of Responses	10	140	-130
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	3	4,859	-4,856
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Reduction Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Short Statement: There is a decrease of 4,847 hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR currently approved by OMB. This decrease is due to the removal of all previous forms associated with the Natural Gas STAR and Methane Challenge Programs, maintaining only the Service Provider Directory form.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $379

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

Agency Contact: Andrew Meluch 202 564-4762

View ICR - Agency Submission