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Health Benefits Show Need To Tighten EPA Air Transport Rule, Activists Say

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) has released a new report showing that deaths from air pollution have been cut nearly in half over the last six years as part of the group's effort to pressure EPA to strengthen proposed and upcoming air rules, such as its clean air transport rule (CATR), as a way to further improve public health. CATF attributes a dramatic cut in air pollution deaths to EPA air rules and says that success warrants more reductions...

EPA Says Air Transport Rule 'Disbenefits' Could Boost Emissions In West

EPA's proposed clean air transport rule (CATR) cap-and-trade program to reduce power plant emissions in 31 states and the District of Columbia could create "disbenefits" by increasing air pollution and associated premature deaths in Western states that would not be subject to the rule, according to a key agency air official. Sam Napolitano, director of EPA's Clean Air Markets division, said on a Sept. 2 CATR webinar that the projected increase in emissions in states not covered by the rule...

Clock For Legal Challenge Starts Ticking On Final Agency Cement MACT

EPA published in the Sept. 9 Federal Register the agency's final multipollutant emissions rules for the cement sector, triggering a 60-day clock for a potential lawsuit over the rules from cement industry officials who have long raised concerns about the regulations. In August EPA unveiled its National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) to reduce air toxics from the sector, combined with a revised New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) to cut the cement industry's criteria pollutant emissions. Publication of...

Biomass Group Argues EPA Air Toxic Rules Will Boost GHG Emissions

A biomass energy group is using climate change arguments to rally against a series of proposed EPA rules to limit air toxic emissions from industrial boilers and solid waste incinerators, claiming that the proposals would hamper efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and frustrate other initiatives by the Obama administration to boost renewable energy. The group is calling for EPA to make changes to the proposals in a number of areas, including to create new subcategories of incinerators under...

Shale Gas Group Seeks Fuel Switching As Option To Meet EPA Boiler Rule

A major shale natural gas group is urging EPA to reverse its decision not to allow fuel switching as an option for complying with the agency's strict proposed emissions rule for industrial and other boilers and process heaters, saying EPA's failure to consider fuel switching is unsupported by the record and is arbitrary and capricious. The group America's Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) outlined its push for fuel switching in Aug. 23 comments on EPA's proposed national emission standards for hazardous...

Labor Critique Bolsters Industry, GOP Opposition To EPA Boiler MACT Plan

Key labor groups are backing industry and Republican opposition to EPA's proposed approach to regulating air emissions from industrial boilers, increasing political pressure on the agency to re-think its stringent rules and creating a division with the labor groups' environmentalist allies, who are calling for the agency to strengthen its proposal. But key labor union sources are downplaying suggestions of a broader split with environmentalists, saying groups like the BlueGreen Alliance of labor and environmentalist representatives are "still strong." In...

Ruling Backs Intervenors' Standing After Agency Drops Rule Defense

A key federal appeals court has issued a first-of-its-kind ruling backing private intervenors' standing in cases seeking to uphold a federal agency rule after the government changed its position, in a ruling that one attorney says is highly significant and could aid private parties seeking to litigate over EPA and other agencies' rules when an administration's position on issues changes. At issue is a Sept. 1 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in Western Watersheds...

Activists Push Air Lawsuits, Fearing GOP Majority May Weaken EPA Rules

Environmentalists are filing lawsuits to win strict controls on criteria pollutant and air toxics emissions from new and existing power plants as an insurance strategy, fearing that if the GOP takes over Congress after the midterm elections then Republicans may pass bills to weaken upcoming EPA air rules for the utility sector. EPA has issued or is developing several proposals to cut power plant emissions, including its recently proposed Clean Air Transport Rule cap-and-trade program to cut nitrogen oxide and...

Votes For TSCA Reform

A new poll commissioned by environmentalists finds support among so-called swing voters to tighten chemical regulation under EPA's Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), with respondents placing reform of the law ahead of other environmental issues like reducing global warming and regulating offshore drilling. The Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition of environmental, public health and other groups commissioned the poll , which asked likely voters in 75 “swing” districts about their views on chemical regulation. According to the poll, reforming TSCA...

GAO: Perchlorate Exposures Steady

A revised study from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the national rate of exposure to perchlorate is generally comparable to levels the office found in 2005 despite measuring potential for harmful exposure at stricter health protective limits set by EPA. The exposure data comes as EPA is considering adopting an alternative industry-backed approach for addressing the risks posed by perchlorate, mitigating risks posed by the widespread contaminant by boosting iodine levels in those vulnerable to its potential harms, an...

Steel Workers Union Comments On EPA Boiler MACT

Industry Analysis Shows Major Job Losses From Boiler MACT

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Jackson Outlines EPA Principles To Avoid 'Doomsday' Air Rule Scenario

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has unveiled five principles she says will guide the agency's work developing Clean Air Act rules to ensure that regulations are cost-effective and provide industry with flexibility, in order to address concerns from industry and others that pending air rules will create an economic and regulatory “doomsday.” At an event held at EPA's headquarters Sept. 14 to celebrate the Clean Air Act's 40th anniversary, Jackson said that recent concerns raised about the dire impacts of EPA's...

Proposed Green Chemistry Rule

DTSC Summary Of Proposed Rule

Background Reading: Activists Seek To Strengthen California's Landmark Green Chemistry Rules

Insider - September 14, 2010

Vapor Intrusion Crackdown EPA is planning to tighten requirements on assessing public health risks from groundwater contamination that leaks indoors as vapors: EPA Vows To Tighten Draft Vapor Screening Guide Ahead Of 2012 Release EPA is vowing to strengthen its 2002 draft guidelines for assessing the risks posed by toxic vapors that intrude into structures near contaminated sites, saying in a recent review of the guide that the agency will expand the list of chemicals for which parties must screen,...

Texas

Indiana

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Rockefeller Says EPA FY11 Bill Unlikely To Include Delay On Climate Rules

Editor's Note: The Senate Appropriations Committee announced a postponement of the Sept. 16 markup of the EPA spending bill after this story was published. No new date has been scheduled. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) says his proposal to delay EPA regulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) is unlikely to be included in the agency's pending fiscal year 2011 spending bill, because Senate Democrats who support Rockefeller's plan have told the senator that the appropriations process is not the...