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HCR 47

Urge U.S. EPA review certain energy security, oil and gas rules

136th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Adam Mathews and 1 co-sponsor

Urges the EPA to modify methane regulations to ease rules for small Ohio oil and gas operators, including exemptions for low-production wells and marginal wells.

Introduced and Referred to Committee
#environmentandnaturalresources #oilandgas
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Bill Summary · HCR 47

Summary of HCR 47 (Ohio, 136th General Assembly)

Purpose and intent

  • A concurrent resolution urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to review and reconsider certain methane-related regulations that affect energy production, particularly Ohio’s small conventional oil and gas operators.
  • Responds to perceived regulatory burdens from USEPA rules under 40 C.F.R. Part 60 Subparts OOOOb and OOOOc (the “Methane Rule”) and ties these to concerns about U.S. energy security and Ohio’s energy sector.

Background and context provided in the resolution

  • The resolution references actions following President Donald Trump’s Executive Order (April 8, 2025) aimed at reducing regulatory burdens on domestic energy production.
  • It characterizes the Methane Rule as having negative impacts on energy security and on Ohio’s oil and gas producers, noting declines in new conventional drilling and economic challenges for marginal wells.

Key provisions and requested actions

The resolution requests the USEPA to consider and adopt one or more of the following revisions to energy production rules:

  1. Exemption or lesser burden for low-production wells

    • Exempt low-production oil wells from the Methane Rule based on annual production thresholds (e.g., exemptions for wells venting/flaring below 20 tons per year, or allowing continued venting/flaring for small producers).

  2. Reclassification of conventional operators

    • Reclassify conventional oil and gas operators as a “small well site” rather than a “large well site,” thereby reducing the regulatory burden that currently applies to large-scale shale operations.

  3. Expansion of Alaska-like concessions for pneumatic controls

    • Extend Alaska-style concessions related to pneumatic controls to remote areas without electricity and to areas with extended freezing conditions (more than 30 days per year without electricity).

  4. Marginal well exemption standard

    • Consider granting an exemption from the Methane Rule for marginal wells using a standard of fifteen barrels of oil equivalent per day as the threshold for eligibility.

Affected entities and implications

  • Primary beneficiaries: Small conventional oil and gas operators in Ohio, particularly marginal wells and remote operations.
  • Potential impacts: If adopted, these revisions could reduce compliance costs and logistical barriers for small producers, sustain or increase marginal production, and influence Ohio’s overall energy output and employment in the sector.
  • Broader implications: The resolution frames the issue within the broader context of national energy security and the current political environment regarding federal regulatory burden.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Status: Introduced and referred to committee as of June 9, 2026.
  • This is a resolution (not a bill), meaning its purpose is to express the Ohio General Assembly’s position and request to federal authorities rather than to enact state law.
  • The resolution would require consideration by the involved committee and, if advanced, adoption by the House (and likely Senate concurrence) before being transmitted to federal officials and other stakeholders.

Practical takeaway

  • HCR 47 does not impose new requirements on Ohio entities; rather, it urges federal action to modify or exempt certain methane-related regulations to better accommodate small conventional oil and gas operations in Ohio and to align regulatory burdens with energy production needs.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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