NSPE continues to fight efforts to stop a critical final rule on oil and natural gas emissions that require a professional engineer to perform critical functions to meet performance standards. On July 12, NSPE President Kodi Jean Verhalen, P.E., Esq., F. NSPE submitted public comment to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding its reconsideration of the requirement for a professional engineer to certify the closed vent system design and capacity assessment.
In the public comment, Verhalen writes, “There is no reason or basis for displacing properly enacted final rules at this time; to stay the rules requiring involvement of licensed professional engineers creates real and unnecessary risks to the public health, safety, and welfare in the interim.”
NSPE and the professional engineers it represents share a common purpose with the EPA in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public and we strongly urge the EPA to enforce the current requirements until and unless a new rulemaking is undertaken and will be fully engaged in the ongoing proceedings. NSPE Executive Director Mark Golden presented on NSPE’s position. NSPE Executive Director Mark Golden testified at and EPA hearing regarding this issue on July 10.