APPELLATE RULING LIMITS ADMINISTRATION'S OPTIONS FOR NSR RELIEF

The federal appellate decision vacating EPA's rule easing new source review (NSR) requirements for the electric utility industry and other industrial sectors is raising questions about the outlook for Bush administration efforts to shield industry from strict regulatory oversight under the controversial Clean Air Act program. Prospects for a legislative fix or Supreme Court action are uncertain, while a related EPA rulemaking providing an administrative venue for relief also faces hurdles, according to some observers. Granting a request from states...