Key Senators, Environmentalists Attack Exemption In EPA Air Toxic Rules

Environmentalists and two prominent senators are challenging the Bush administration's landmark air toxics rules for plywood producers and industrial boilers, fearing they set a dangerous precedent for excluding facilities from Clean Air Act requirements by downplaying the risks posed by ambient pollutants and emission sources "co-located" at a facility. These critics warn if the rules stand, industries could petition EPA to apply the agency's new risk-based methodology to existing rules and overhaul the agency's air toxics program. While EPA officials...