CLOSE Act

This bill would amend the Clean Air Act to allow the Environmental Protection Agency to aggregate emissions from oil and gas wells, pipeline compressors, and pump stations when determining if they qualify as major sources of toxic air pollutants. It would also require the agency to add hydrogen sulfide to the official list of hazardous air pollutants and establish new emission standards for sources of that gas. Additionally, the proposal would permit oil and gas production wells to be regulated as area sources of toxic air pollution.

This bill primarily affects owners and operators of oil and gas exploration or production wells, as well as pipeline compressors and pump stations, by allowing their emissions to be aggregated and regulated as major or area sources of toxic air pollutants. The Environmental Protection Agency is also affected, as it would be required to add hydrogen sulfide to the list of hazardous air pollutants and revise source categories accordingly. Additionally, industries that emit hydrogen sulfide may be subject to new emissions standards and listing requirements under the Clean Air Act.

• Aggregation of oil and gas emissions. Allows emissions from oil or gas exploration wells, production wells, and pipeline infrastructure to be combined with similar sources when determining if they qualify as a major source of toxic air pollutants.
• Regulation of oil and gas wells as area sources. Permits the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate emissions from oil or gas production wells as area sources of toxic air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.
• Addition of hydrogen sulfide to hazardous air pollutants list. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to issue a final rule officially listing hydrogen sulfide as a hazardous air pollutant.
• Revision of air pollution source categories. Directs the Environmental Protection Agency to update its list of air pollution sources within one year of listing hydrogen sulfide to include relevant major and area source categories, such as oil and gas wells.

The Environmental Protection Agency is required to revise the list of air pollution sources to include categories of hydrogen sulfide sources within 365 days after issuing a final rule that adds hydrogen sulfide to the list of hazardous air pollutants.

This bill amends the Clean Air Act to modify how emissions from oil and gas operations are aggregated and regulated. It also directs the Environmental Protection Agency to update the existing list of hazardous air pollutants to include hydrogen sulfide.

The bill aims to strengthen the regulation of hazardous air pollutants by amending the Clean Air Act to allow for the aggregation of emissions from oil and gas wells, pipelines, and pump stations for regulatory purposes. It also requires the Environmental Protection Agency to designate hydrogen sulfide as a hazardous air pollutant and establish emission standards for sources of that gas, including oil and gas wells.