In May 2016, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued regulations requiring operators to reduce methane emissions and emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from new modified and reconstructed crude oil and natural gas wells and equipment at booster stations, natural gas processing plants, and transmission compressor stations in the oil and natural gas sector. In November 2021, the Epa proposed a rule to reduce methane and Voc emissions from new and existing sources in the oil and natural gas sector.