Convening Stakeholders

We occasionally partner with, or convene, oil and natural gas stakeholders to increase opportunities for environmental improvements.

• Our Smart Sectors program partners with sectors that represent the engine of the American economy in order to explore significant opportunities for environmental improvement.  Currently, we are partnering with 14 sectors, including oil and gas.  Additional sectors may be added over time. 

• In April 2017, various industry associations expressed their concerns to us about our compliance assurance activities.  View the letters and memos to us, and our July 2017 responses.  In response to these concerns, former Administrator Pruitt convened a roundtable in February 2018 in cooperation with the Environmental Council of States (ECOS) and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC).  View the press release, agenda, meeting highlights, case studies, and participant list.

• In August 2019, we renewed our commitment to collaborate with the IOGCC through the EPA-IOGCC Task Force. First established in 2002, the task force is comprised of EPA’s senior leaders and state oil and gas leadership, and is a mechanism for better communication and collaboration between the federal government and the states. Together, EPA and IOGCC leadership will continue to promote protection of human health and the environment, while:
  • recognizing each other’s missions, responsibilities and authorities,
  • increasing efficiencies, and
  • facilitating the exchange of information and expertise. 

Both EPA and certain IOGCC member regulators maintain authority and responsibility over produced water, making federal and state collaboration on the management and regulation of produced water essential.