OMB Control No. 2060-0328 Expires 07/31/2011 

## N ATURAL 

## G AS 

## STAR P ROGRAM 

## : M EMORANDUM OF


## U NDERSTANDING FOR 

## D ISTRIBUTION 

## C OMPANIES

This is a voluntary agreemen t between ___________________________________________ (company name) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fo r the purpose of reducing methane releases to the atmosphere by implementing cost-effective emission reducti on technologies and practices.

Authorized Company Representative: (name)

Signature: Date:

Reid Harvey: Acting Director, Climate Change Di vision, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Signature: Date:

Partner’s Designated Natural Gas STAR Implementation Manager:

Name:

Title:

Address: City/State/Zip: Telephone/Fax: E-mail:

Partner’s Media Liaison/Public Relations Manager:

Name:

Title:

Address: City/State/Zip: Telephone/Fax: E-mail:

EPA’s Responsibilities

1. Assign a STAR Service Repr esentative responsible for assisting the partner in implementing the Program.

2. Assist partners with Program implementation by: (1 ) analyzing emerging technol ogies and practices; (2) developing workshops and training courses; and (3) assi sting in the removal of regulatory barriers to implementing Program BM Ps, when appropriate.

3. Provide partners with public recognition for their commitment to the Program through advertisements, press releases, articles, and awards.

4. Recognize partners for methane emi ssion reductions achieved before joining the Program, back to 1993.

5. EPA will only release inform ation obtained from the partner company without prior authorization from that company if required to do so under the Freedom of Information Act, the Agency’s regulations at 40 CFR part 2, subpart B, or other applicable law.

Natural Gas STAR Partner’s Responsibilities

1. Appoint a company representative as the Natural Ga s STAR Program Implementa tion Manager responsible for implementing this voluntary agreement.

2. Submit an implementation plan within six months of si gning this agreement outlini ng expected activities and scope of implementation.

3. Implement, within three years, applicable BMPs and PRO s at facilities in the United States as outlined in the implementation plan when cost-effective (as defined by the partner).

4. Submit annual reports describing the BMPs and PROs implemented, the co st of implementation, and the

associated methane emissions reducti ons. Annual reports must be signed to certify the accuracy of data contained in the report.

5. Communicate participation to employees and cooper ate with EPA efforts to publicize the Program.

General Terms

1. This agreement can be terminated by either party at any time, with no notice or penalties and no further obligation. EPA agrees not to publicize a partner’s withdrawal from the Program.

2. The partner agrees that the activitie s it undertakes connected with this MOU are not intended to provide services to the federal government and that the partne r will not seek compensation from a federal agency.

3. The partner agrees that it will not claim or imply that its participation in the Program constitutes EPA approval or endorsement of anything othe r than the commitment to the Program.

4. The partner must report the previous year’s emission reduction activities annually. If a partner does not submit an annual report, the Natural Ga s STAR Program will initiate a thre e step removal process. Details of this process can be provided upon request. The Natural Gas STAR Program is a flexible, non-regulatory partnership between EPA and the oil and natural gas industry aimedat demonstrating the costeffectiveness and environmental benefits of methane emission reduction opportunities.

The recommended Natural Gas

STAR Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Distribution Companies have been jointly identified by EPA and the industry as cost-effective options for reducing methane emissions.

Partner Reported Opportunities (PROs) are additional methane emission reduction options reported by partner companies. PROs can reduce gas loss, increase profits, and improve operational ef ficiency.

Best Management Practices

 Directed inspection and

maintenance at gate stations and surface facilities.

 Identify and rehabilitate leaky

distribution pipe.

Partner Reported Opportunities

 Identify and implement other

cost-effective methane emission reduction management technologies and practices.

Please fax this form to:

EPA Natural Gas STAR Program

c/o Jerome Blackman Fax: (202) 343-2342

EPA Form No. 5900-98

The public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 38 hours per response. Send comments on th e Agency’s need for th is information, the accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested met hods for minimizing respondent burden, includi ng through the us e of automated collection techniques to the Director, Collection Strategies Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2822T ), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20460. Include the OMB control number in any correspondence. Do not send the completed form to this address.