FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
August 2, 2016
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Alabama Attorney General
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Page 1 of 1
AG STRANGE AND PARTNERING STATES CHALLENGE
EPA’S JOB-KILLING OIL AND GAS RULE
(MONTGOMERY) – Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange joined a coalition
of 14 states and state agencies in filing suit against the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency’s job-killing attack on the nation’s oil and natural gas industry.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, petitions the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia Circuit to review the EPA’s final rule regulating emissions standards for new,
reconstructed and modified oil and gas operations.
Attorney General Strange and his partners argue this latest regulation imposes
unnecessary and burdensome rules upon the oil and natural gas industry, while setting
the stage for further limits on existing oil and gas operations before President Obama
leaves office.
“Americans are already taxed and regulated to death by Washington and this
new EPA rule is another bureaucratic attempt to restrict access to more affordable
energy,” said Attorney General Strange. “We should be working to build up our
country’s domestic energy production for the benefit of consumers and our struggling
economy, not creating more obstacles to oil and gas.”
The coalition contends EPA’s rule is unnecessary and would raise production
and distribution costs and, in turn, force an increase in consumer utility bills. The EPA
itself predicts its regulations will cost $530 million in 2025, while other studies project
the annual price tag may hit $800 million.
Attorney General Strange and the others contend that imposing unnecessary and
costly regulations will jeopardize jobs in the nation’s natural gas, pipeline and
construction sectors.
Those signing onto the lawsuit were West Virginia, Alabama, Arizona, Kansas,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and
Wisconsin, along with the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet and North
Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
A copy of the petition is attached.
–30–
501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
www.ago.state.al.us IN THE
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT
STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA;
STATE OF ALABAMA;
STATE OF ARIZONA;
STATE OF KANSAS;
COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY;
STATE OF LOUISIANA;
ATTORNEY GENERAL BILL SCHUETTE,
For the People of Michigan;
STATE OF MONTANA;
STATE OF OHIO;
STATE OF OKLAHOMA;
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA;
STATE OF WISCONSIN;
COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT CABINET; PETITION FOR REVIEW
and, STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL Case No.
QUALITY;
Petitioners,
v.
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY;
and, REGINA A. MCCARTHY, Administrator,
United States Environmental Protection Agency;
Respondents.The States of West Virginia, Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana,
Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and the Commonwealth of
Kentucky, and Attorney General Bill Schuette for the People of Michigan, the
Commonwealth of Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, and the State of
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality hereby petition this Court,
pursuant to Rule 15(a) of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, Section
307(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. ß 7607(b)(1), and 5 U.S.C. ß 702, for
review of the final rule of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published in
the Federal Register at 81 Fed. Reg. 35,824 (June 3, 2016), titled “Oil and Natural
Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources.”
This Court has jurisdiction, and is a proper venue for this action, under 42 U.S.C.
ß 7607(b)(1).
Petitioners will show that the final rule is in excess of the agency’s statutory
authority and otherwise is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion and not in
accordance with law. Accordingly, Petitioners ask the Court to hold unlawful and
set aside the rule, and to order other such relief as may be appropriate. See 42
U.S.C. ß 7607(d).
2Dated: August 2, 2016
Respectfully submitted.
Patrick Morrisey
Attorney General of West
Virginia
Elbert Lin
Solicitor General
Counsel ofRecord
J. Zak Ritchie
Assistant Attorney General
State Capitol Building 1 , Room 26-E
Charleston, WV 25305
Tel: (304) 558-2021
Fax: (304) 558-0140
elbert.lin@wvago.gov
Counsel for Petitioner State of West
Virginia
Luther Strange Q Mark Brnovich O
Attorney General of Alabama Attorney General of Arizona
Andrew Brasher John R. Lopez IV
Solicitor General Solicitor General
Counsel ofRecord Counsel ofRecord
501 Washington Avenue 1275 West Washington St.
Montgomery, AL 36130 Phoenix, AZ 85007
Tel: (334)353-2609 Tel: (602)542-8986
abrasher@ago. state.al. us Fax (602) 542-8308
john.lopez@azag.gov
Counselfor Petitioner State ofAlabama
Counselfor Petitioner State ofArizona
3-iCA4n )<>3<-^74^/4^k-eA^U*<7£- (‘-A
Derek Schmidt
Andy Beshear <3
Attorney General of Kansas Attorney General of Kentucky
Jeffrey A. Chanay Mitchel T. Denham
Chief Deputy Attorney General Assistant Deputy Attorney General
Counsel ofRecord Joseph A. Newberg, II
Bryan C. Clark Assistant Attorney General
Assistant Solicitor General Counsel ofRecord
120 S.W. 10th Avenue, 3rd Floor
700 Capital Avenue
Topeka, KS 66612 Suite 1 18
Tel: (785)368-8435 Frankfort, KY 40601
Fax: (785) 291-3767
Tel: (502)696-5611
jeff.chanay@ag.ks.gov joe.newberg@ky.gov
Counselfor Petitioner State ofKansas Counselfor Petitioner Commonwealth
ofKentucky
PL
Jeff Landry ^ Bill Schuette O
Attorney General of Louisiana Attorney General for the People
Elizabeth B. Murill
of Michigan
Solicitor General Aaron D. Lindstrom
Counsel ofRecord Michigan Solicitor General
Steven B. “Beaux” Jones
Counsel ofRecord
Assistant Attorney General P.O. Box 30212
Environmental Section – Civil Division Lansing, MI 48909
1885 N. Third Street Tel: (515)373-1124
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
Fax: (517) 373-3042
Tel: (225)326-6085 lindstroma@michigan.gov
Fax: (225)326-6099
MurrillE@ag.louisiana.gov Counselfor Petitioner
Attorney General Bill Schuettefor the
Counselfor Petitioner State of People ofMichigan
Louisiana
4P. lA
Timothy C. Fox Michael DeWine
Attorney General of Montana Attorney General of Ohio
Alan Joscelyn Eric E. Murphy
Chief Deputy Attorney General State Solicitor
Dale Schowengerdt Counsel ofRecord
Solicitor General 30 E. Broad Street, 17th Floor
Counsel ofRecord Columbus, OH 43215
215 North Sanders Tel: (614)466-8980
Helena, MT 59620-1401 eric.murphy@ohioattorneygeneral.gov
Tel: (406)444-7008
dales@mt.gov Counselfor Petitioner State ofOhio
Counselfor Petitioner State of Montana
kJuuidjiK
Alan Wilson ^
E. Scott Pruitt
Attorney General of Oklahoma Attorney General of South
Patrick R. Wyrick Carolina
Solicitor General Robert D. Cook
Counsel ofRecord Solicitor General
P. Clayton Eubanks James Emory Smith, Jr.
Deputy Solicitor General Deputy Solicitor General
Oklahoma Office of the Counsel ofRecord
Attorney General P.O. Box 11549
313 N.E. 21st Street
Columbia, SC 29211
Oklahoma City, OK 73105 Tel: (803) 734-3680
Tel: (405) 521-3921 Fax: (803) 734-3677
Fax: (405) 522-0608 esmith@scag.gov
jared.haines@oag.ok.gov
docket@oag.ok.gov Counselfor Petitioner State ofSouth
Carolina
Counselfor Petitioner State of
Oklahoma
5Brad Schimel u
Charles G. Snavely
Attorney General of Wisconsin
Secretary,
Misha Tseytlin Commonwealth of Kentucky
Solicitor General Energy and Environment Cabinet
Counsel ofRecord John G. Home, II
Andrew Cook General Counsel
Deputy Attorney General Office of General Counsel
Delanie M. Breuer Counsel ofRecord
Assistant Deputy Attorney General Jacquelyn A. Quarles
Wisconsin Department of Justice
Deputy General Counsel
1 7 West Main Street Office of General Counsel
Madison, WI 53707 300 Sower Blvd., 3rd Floor
Tel: (608)267-9323
Frankfort, KY 40601
tseytlinm@doj.state,wi.us Tel: (502) 782-7043
Jackie.Quarles@ky.gov
Counselfor Petitioner State of
Wisconsin Counselfor Petitioner Commonwealth
Kentucky Energy and Environment
Cabinet
Sam M. Hayes CJ
General Counsel
Counsel ofRecord
Craig Bromby
Deputy General Counsel
Andrew Norton
Deputy General Counsel
North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality
1601 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1601
Tel: (919) 707-8616
sam.hayes@ncdenr.gov
Counselfor Petitioner North Carolina
Department ofEnvironmental Quality
6CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that I will cause to be served a true copy of the Petition for
Review via U.S. mail on August 2, 2016, upon the following:
Hon. Gina McCarthy, Administrator
Office of the Administrator ( 1 1 0 1 A)
United States Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
Hon. Loretta E. Lynch
Attorney General of the United States
United States Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Correspondence Control Unit
Office of General Counsel (23 1 1 )
United States Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
Elbert Lin
Counselfor Petitioner State of
West Virginia
