State Review of Oil and Natural Gas Environmental Regulations, Inc (STRONGER), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting states with the continuous improvement of their oil and natural gas environmental regulatory programs through a consensus-driven, multi-stakeholder framework, has selected Matt Lepore to serve as the organization’s second Executive Director. Lepore’s selection follows the departure of […]

STRONGER has published its report from the California Geologic Energy Management Division Well Stimulation Treatment (CalGEM WST) State Review. The Review focused on CalGEM’s well stimulation treatment regulations. This was California’s third State Review. Beginning in May 2021, a Review Team representing state, environmental, and industry stakeholders evaluated the CalGEM’s well stimulation treatment regulations against the criteria […]

STRONGER has published its report from the Oklahoma Waste Management State Review. The Review focused on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission Pollution Abatement Department’s oil and gas waste management regulations and was a follow-up to Oklahoma’s 2005 Review. This was Oklahoma’s fifth State Review. During the 2020 pandemic and through early 2021, a Review Team representing state, […]

The Event Summary of the 2019 Oil and Natural Gas Stakeholder Roundtable is now available. The Roundtable brought together representatives of state, federal, and tribal governments, industry, academia, associations, and environmental organizations to discuss important issues at the intersection of oil and gas development and environmental stewardship.

On November 4 and 5 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, STRONGER and the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) convened an Oil and Natural Gas Stakeholder Roundtable. The Roundtable brought a diverse group of stakeholders together to discuss solutions to critical environmental challenges. Read the EPA press release for more information.

STRONGER has published its report from the New Mexico Air State Review. The Review included both the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD). This was New Mexico’s third State Review. In May of 2019, a Review Team representing state, environmental, and industry stakeholders traveled to Albuquerque, NM to conduct […]

In May of 2018 STRONGER began seeking input from stakeholders on updating the Air Quality Guidelines to include methane emissions from upstream oil and gas operations. A multi-stakeholder workgroup comprised of representatives of industry operators, state and federal regulators, and environmental organizations worked collaboratively over several months from 2018 to 2019 to evaluate and update the […]

A multi-stakeholder workgroup convened by the STRONGER Board of Directors has developed updates to STRONGER’s Air Quality Guidelines. The Air Quality Guidelines were initially developed in 2014 with an emphasis on VOC and HAP emissions. The updates are intended to expand that scope to include methane emissions from upstream oil and gas operations. The update […]

In November 2018, the State Review of Oil and Natural Gas Environmental Regulations (STRONGER) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to facilitate greater collaboration and to achieve greater success in the effort to protect human health and the environment. The MOU objectives are to affirm EPA’s commitment […]