EPA’s Voluntary Methane Challenge and Natural Gas STAR Programs (Renewal)

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
Form 5900-02 Service Providers Form and Instruction	Modified
Form 5900-412 EPA's Voluntary Natural Gas STAR Methane Challenge Program Form and Instruction	Removed
2547ss03.docx Supporting Statement A	2024-09-26

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
248166	Service Providers Form and Instruction	Modified
231108	EPA's Voluntary Natural Gas STAR Methane Challenge Program Form and Instruction	Removed

ICR Details

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	12/31/2024
Responses	10	140
Time Burden (Hours)	3	4,859
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0

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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.

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Authorizing Statute(s): None

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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

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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

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 1

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
EPA's Voluntary Natural Gas STAR Methane Challenge Program	5900-412, 5900-412, 5900-411, 5900-434, 5900-413, 5900-435, 5900-410, 5900-99, 5900-102, 5900-104, 5900-95, 5900-105	Partnership Agreement for Best Management Practice ,   Partnership Agreement for Best Management Practice ,   Partnership Agreement ONE Future Emissions Intensit ,   Best Management Practice Reporting Form ,   Historical Action Fact Sheet ,   ONE Future Reporting Form ,   Implementation Plan ,   Annual Report - Distribution Segment ,   Annual Report - Gathering and Processing Segment ,   Annual Report - Production Segment ,   Annual Report - Transmission Segment ,   Program Partnership Agreement
Service Providers	5900-02	Service Provider Directory Contact Information Form

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Request	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	10	140	0	-130	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	3	4,859	0	-4,856	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	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.

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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

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Common Form ICR:  No

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On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(i) Why the information is being collected;

(ii) Use of information;

(iii) Burden estimate;

(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);

(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and

(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.

Certification Date: 10/02/2024

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