‘Are You Worried About The Permian Basin?’: August Pfluger Interrogates EPA Admin Michael Regan
During a House Energy Committee hearing last week, Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) questioned EPA Administrator Michael Regan about the Permian Basin.
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Thank you. The gentleman yields back. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Texas,
00:04 Representative Pflueger, for five minutes of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:08 Administrator Regan, do you intend to place the Permian Basin into a status of
00:12 non-attainment regarding ozone? We're going to continue to work with both Texas and New Mexico
00:18 to manage this process. Are you aware that there are only three monitors in the entire Permian
00:24 Basin and do you know where those monitors are? I'm sorry? Are you aware that there's only three
00:29 monitors and do you know where those monitors are located? I personally don't know where the
00:33 monitors are, but my staff does. They're in New Mexico. Do you know how big the Permian Basin is?
00:37 I have an idea, yes. Have you been there? I have not. I want to commend Dr. Nance for coming.
00:44 Do you make the decision on non-attainment? I'm not quite sure. Do you make the decision
00:52 as the administrator of the EPA? No. You don't? We have a program that determines non-attainment.
00:56 Who makes that decision? Our Office of Air and Radiation makes that decision. Are you the
01:01 principal advisor to the president on air quality? I am. So do you make the decision on non-attainment?
01:08 No, I don't personally make the decision on non-attainment. There's a program that evaluates.
01:11 What I heard today was you visit a lot of communities that you're worried about, right?
01:15 I absolutely do, yes. Are you worried about the Permian Basin? That's why Dr. Nance was there
01:20 last week. But are you personally worried about it? I am, but when I can't make everywhere,
01:25 all 50 states, that's why our A's go and make these visits that she made with you last week.
01:29 Tell me how much methane intensity has been reduced in the Permian Basin in the last
01:33 10 to 15 years. I could have staff answer those questions for you. This is a really important area.
01:39 Sure. It's the most important area for energy production in the entire world. Wouldn't you
01:45 think you would know what the intensity decrease was over the last 10 to 15 years?
01:50 As the administrator of a very large agency, I don't walk around with those specific facts in
01:54 my head. There are people that do. That's why we're having this hearing. Will you commit to
01:59 coming to the Permian Basin before a final decision is reached? I will commit that we
02:03 will have senior management come to the Permian Basin. I think this is why we're having problems.
02:07 Do you think the EPA should be authorized by Congress? Do I think it should be? Do you think
02:14 your organization should be authorized by Congress? I guess President Nixon in 1970
02:19 and Congress in 1970 thought that. We'll ask those questions later. We're talking about the
02:26 most important secure supply of energy in the entire world. The economic impact, the amount
02:32 of production, the low price, affordable, clean energy. 32 plus percent is the reduction in methane
02:40 intensity in the Permian Basin over the last 10 to 15 years. Yet, at the very same time,
02:44 we've increased the production five-fold from a million barrels a day to six million barrels a day.
02:49 I'm very disappointed that you don't know that because that is exactly why we are concerned about
02:54 the overreach of the EPA not having those facts. Saying you don't walk around with those facts.
03:00 You have to walk around with those facts. We're talking about energy security for our entire
03:04 country here. This is the area that you should come visit. Of all the areas, this is the area
03:10 that you personally should come visit. Did you write, did you review the Subpart W final rule?
03:17 The last time you and I talked, you asked for me to send Dr. Nance. Now today, as a gotcha,
03:22 you've never invited me before. Now you're inviting me. We supplied Dr. Nance to come
03:28 see you. I'm glad she came and visited. I try to oblige your ask whenever you make them.
03:33 This is the most important energy production area in the entire world. You as the EPA director should
03:39 come visit it. If you're worried about methane intensity, you would know that we've reduced it
03:43 by 32%. I am absolutely worried about it. Did you review the Subpart W? I honored your request of
03:48 Dr. Nance coming to visit you. Did you review the Subpart W rule personally yourself? Of course I
03:55 was briefed on the Subpart W rule. Did you review the rule? Of course I was briefed on the Subpart W.
03:59 Do you know how many pages that rule is? I don't count pages and rules. We do. I mean, you might
04:04 think that I have time to do that, but I don't have time to count pages and rules. That's such
04:09 a ridiculous question. I feel like you're getting very defensive in these questions. No, I'm not
04:13 defensive. I just like reasonable questions. Let me tell you how many pages and rules. I think you
04:17 would know. Counting pages and rules. You know how many pages it is? It's 2,685 pages. How many pages
04:22 are in the electric vehicle? Administrator Regan, I'm going to reclaim my time. How many pages are in the clean cars rule? I'm going to reclaim it. I've got lots of rules to count pages on. Mr. Chairman, can we suspend?
04:30 We'll reset that clock for a second.
04:37 I'm not sure exactly how much time, but I'll wait until we get it back.
04:47 2,000. Thank you. 2,685 pages. You earlier testified today that you have been engaging
05:02 with small energy companies from day one. Is that true? Yes. Do you know how many companies
05:07 your agency has actually engaged with? From Mr. Goffman to my office? Eight. Eight companies.
05:15 I asked him the same question I'm going to ask you. Which small producers have you engaged with
05:21 regarding methane, ozone, or any of the finalized quad OBNC, any of the rules that are? We will get
05:30 you a complete list. It was given to me. It was eight companies and not a single one of them were
05:34 small independent producers. We will get you a complete list. These are not gotcha questions.
05:40 This is to demonstrate the fact that I don't believe you personally have taken the time and
05:46 interest in an area that is producing 43 plus percent of our country's oil and gas production.
05:52 It is a gotcha question. Asking me to ask my regional administrator to visit you and we do that.
05:58 By the way, you say you're not appreciative of that and you say I haven't gone. The visit was
06:02 very much appreciated. The gentleman's time has expired. You are invited and I would appreciate
06:07 you getting back to me. 2,685 pages is way too much to understand anything about how to enforce
06:16 these rules, how they're going to impact economically. I know my time has expired.
06:19 Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the invitation.