G/TBT/N/USA/1030  
 
22 September 2015  
(15-4874)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [1048] 
Name and address (including telephon e and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above : 
Please submit comments to: USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point 
Email: ncsci@nist.gov  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10 .1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], other: 
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applic able, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable): Emissions. Air quality 
(ICS: 13.040), Compressors and pneumatic machines (ICS: 23.140) 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document: Oil and Natural Gas 
Sector: Emission Standards for New and Modified Sources (106 pages, in English) 
6. Description of content: This action proposes to amend the new source performance 
standards (NSPS) for the oil and natural gas source category by setting standards for both 
methane and volatile organic compounds (VOC) for certain equipment, processes and 
activities across this source category. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 
including requirements for methane emissions in this proposal because methane is a 
greenhouse gas (GHG), and the oil and natural gas category is currently one of the 
country's largest emitters of methane. In  2009, the EPA found that by causing or 
contributing to climate change, GHGs endang er both the public health and the public 
welfare of current and future generations. The EPA is proposing both methane and VOC 
standards for several emission sources not currently covered by the NSPS and proposing 
methane standards for certain emission sources that are currently regulated for VOC. The proposed amendments also extend the current VOC standards to the remaining 
unregulated equipment across the source category and additionally establish methane 
standards for this equipment. Lastly, amendments to improve implementation of the current NSPS are being proposed which result from reconsideration of certain issues raised 
in petitions for reconsideration that were received by the Administrator on the August 16, 
2012, final NSPS for the oil and natural gas se ctor and related amendments. Except for the 
implementation improvements and the setting of standards for methane, these amendments do not change the requirements for operations already covered by the 
current standards.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents: 80 Federal Register (FR) 56593, 19 September 2015; Title 40 Code 
of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 60. Will a ppear in the Federal Register when adopted. G/TBT/N/USA/1030 
 
- 2 - 
 
  9. Proposed date of adoption: To be determined 
Proposed date of entry into force: To be determined 
10. Final date for comments: 17 November 2015 
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachm ents/2015/TBT/USA/15_3746_00_e.pdf