EPA Issues Final Rule to Extend Unrealistic Biden-era Compliance Deadlines for Oil and Gas Industry, Saves Hundreds of Millions in Costs
November 26, 2025
Contact Information
EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)
WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin is taking final action on the agency’s July 2025 Interim Final Rule (IFR) to extend several compliance deadlines in the Biden-Harris Administration’s Clean Air Act (CAA) rules for the oil and gas industry – commonly known as OOOOb/c. By providing more realistic timelines for owners and operators of new and modified oil and natural gas sources, the Trump EPA is taking an important step in unleashing America’s domestic energy supply. The action will impact hundreds of thousands of oil and gas sources across the country and save an estimated $750 million over 11 years in compliance costs.
“The previous administration used oil and gas standards as a weapon to shut down development and manufacturing in the United States,” said EPA Administrator Zeldin. “By finalizing compliance extensions, EPA is ensuring unrealistic regulations do not prevent America from unleashing energy dominance. We produce energy better and cleaner than so many other countries around the world, yet Americans have been punished by flawed, ideologically driven regulations. Today, the Trump EPA is taking decisive, corrective action.”
In July 2025, EPA issued an IFR extending compliance deadlines in the 2024 New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Emissions Guidelines for OOOOb/c. This IFR included extending the deadline to meet certain requirements related to control devices, equipment leaks, storage vessels, process controllers, and covers/closed vent systems for 18 months following the publication of the IFR in the Federal Register. This remains unchanged in today’s final rule. Also remaining unchanged are the 18-month extensions given to states to create plans for reducing methane emissions from existing oil and natural gas sources and for the implementation of the 2024 rule’s “super emitter” program, which requires third parties using EPA-approved remote-sensing technology to provide EPA with data on potential large leaks.
Following a public comment period and a public hearing on the July 2025 IFR, EPA is extending the November 28, 2025, deadline for net heating value continuous monitoring requirements and alternative performance test (sampling demonstration) option for flares and enclosed combustion devices by 180 days. This addresses the supply chain, personnel, and laboratory limitations identified by commenters, which made compliance with the requirements in the 2024 final rule infeasible. The IFR previously had extended this to 120 days. To ensure clarity, EPA is providing 360 days from the effective date of this final action for owners and operators to submit all annual NSPS OOOOb reports that were originally due prior to this deadline. Subsequent reports are due no later than 90 days after the end of each annual compliance period. These changes do not alter any provisions specifying the annual compliance period.
Today’s final action also includes all responses to public comments received on the IFR, as well as testimonies from the public hearing. To read the final rule and related materials, visit EPA’s website for the oil and natural gas rules.
Background
On March 8, 2024, the Biden-Harris EPA announced NSPS and Emissions Guidelines for oil and natural gas operations under CAA sections 111(b) and 111(d) (40 CFR part 60, subparts OOOOb/c). On March 12, 2025, Administrator Zeldin announced that the agency is reconsidering Clean Air Act regulations for the oil and gas industry to unleash energy dominance and continue the Nation’s trajectory as a leader in energy while remaining committed to fulfilling EPA’s statutory obligations and protecting the environment. The Trump EPA IFR, which was published on July 31, 2025, was the first of several actions EPA is taking to relieve the regulatory burden for owners and operators of new and modified oil and natural gas sources across the country.
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