Air

Tracking the latest agency and congressional debates over rules to cut emissions of traditional pollutants, and a broad range of novel EPA policies including the agency's shift to a "multipollutant" regulatory approach for individual sectors.

Topic Subtitle
Tracking the latest agency and congressional debates over rules to cut emissions of traditional pollutants, and a broad range of novel EPA policies including the agency's shift to a "multipollutant" regulatory approach for individual sectors.

EPA STAFF PUSH AGENCY FOR TIGHTER PARTICULATE POLLUTION CONTROLS

EPA staff are pushing agency managers to tighten the agency's proposed ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) standard, arguing that stricter standards would not force the agency to amend strategies such as its clean air interstate rule (CAIR), which EPA claims will ensure localities attain existing air pollution standards. But some sources say any efforts to tighten the proposed limits could face an uphill battle within the Bush administration even if EPA itself endorses changes. Any changes will also be scrutinized...

EPA QUESTIONS LEGALITY OF STATES' PLAN TO RETIRE SO2 EMISSIONS CREDITS

BOSTON -- EPA is questioning the legality of a proposal from a group of Northeast states to restrict the number of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions credits that utilities can trade under their model power plant emissions rule that would be more stringent than the agency's clean air interstate rule (CAIR). Sam Napolitano, director of EPA's clean air markets division, told state officials meeting here June 6 not to "monkey with" emissions credits allocated under CAIR, saying it is legally "problematic."...

ACTIVISTS, OFFICIALS PRESS MUNICIPAL UTILITIES FOR GHG EMISSION CUTS

Publicly owned municipal utilities, which provide more than a quarter of the state's electricity, are under increasing pressure from environmentalists and regulators to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through improved energy efficiency and more renewable energy purchases. The increased scrutiny of the municipal utilities' GHG emissions may bolster support for including them in a pending GHG-reduction bill, but utilities themselves are arguing that mandates on public facilities are unnecessary. Proposals for including municipal utilities, known as munis, in state renewable...

AIDE SAYS GOVERNOR EAGER TO BEGIN ENVIRONMENTAL DEBATES

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is "looking forward" to a donnybrook with Democrats over environmental issues during the race for governor, according to the governor's chief campaign strategist. Democrats are developing strategies to attack what they view as the governor's "broken" environmental promises over the past three years. Environmental issues are seen as especially significant in this year's campaign because of their wide appeal with voters and because this year's Democratic primary focused heavily on air and water pollution matters. Schwarzenegger strategist...

BUSINESSES RIP SOUTH COAST FEE HIKES, DEMAND BETTER SERVICES

Southern California small businesses are blasting the South Coast air district over its plan to raise permitting fees on stationary sources, claiming the district must first improve staff services before any hikes can be justified. These businesses are also questioning the nexus the district is making between fee hikes and bolstering the district's retirement plan. The plan is significant because it could have negative economic impacts on thousands of regulated sources in the region, many of which are small businesses...

TIRE FEE MAINTENANCE REKINDLES DISPUTE OVER PROPER ARB SPENDING

A budget conference committee vote this week to block the reduction of an environmental fee on new tire sales has angered industry officials and rekindled a debate over the legality of such fees being funneled to the air board to pay for diesel-engine cleanup projects. While these critics said they will not actively oppose the lawmakers' action, they are working in the longer term to convince the Legislature to significantly lower the fee, based on the argument that the waste...

UTILITIES SEEN FAILING 2010 RPS GOAL; RULE REVISIONS PUSHED

Experts say utilities and energy service providers (ESPs) are unlikely to meet the governor's renewable energy production goal of 20% by 2010, which is renewing stakeholder calls for program amendments to generate more credits and cash for projects. The state's renewables portfolio standard (RPS) program is considered a critical part of the state's efforts to meet the governor's greenhouse gas (GHG) emission-reduction goals. The view that the 2010 goal will not be met was somewhat validated this week by Mike...

STATES PUSH KEY PROGRAMS IN TALKS WITH EPA OVER FY08 BUDGET REQUEST

State officials are pushing several key environmental programs as funding priorities in discussions with EPA as the agency develops its fiscal year 2008 budget proposal, highlighting the need to provide sufficient funding for programs such as air monitoring, underground storage tank (UST) inspection and the agency's clean water loan fund. EPA's Chief Financial Officer Lyons Gray has been meeting with the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) in ongoing discussions that state officials say could help avoid a repeat of...

EPA EYES NEW PERFORMANCE TRACK CHECKS FOLLOWING CRITICAL REPORT

EPA is revising how it verifies whether facilities meet commitments under its Performance Track (PT) voluntary program for companies that exceed regulatory compliance requirements, after environmentalists alleged in a report that many PT facilities' commitments were measured from data that conflicted with other information reported to EPA, agency sources and environmentalists say. The agency says it will now compare data reported under its Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) with data companies provide when they enter the PT program, a development that...

KEY GOP SENATOR EYES HEARING TO CHALLENGE COSTS OF EPA PM PROPOSAL

Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) is planning a hearing later this month to raise concerns over the costs of implementing EPA's proposed new particulate matter (PM) air standards, which some observers see as the senator's attempt to undermine a push from state officials, activists and others for more stringent standards. Voinovich, chair of the Senate environment committee's clean air subcommittee, plans to hold the oversight hearing June 13 to weigh the costs associated with EPA's proposal to tighten its existing fine...

NAS STUDY COULD AFFECT STATE, FEDERAL IMPLEMENTATION OF NSR POLICIES

An upcoming National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report on the Bush administration's controversial changes to the Clean Air Act new source review (NSR) program could influence state implementation of revised NSR rules EPA issued in 2002, and is also anticipated for how it will address a recent court ruling overturning more recent NSR revisions. The report may also have implications for ongoing policy debates over a pending EPA regulation that would codify a more lenient emissions test under the program...

SIERRA CLUB BOOSTS GRASSROOTS ENERGY EFFORT WITH NEW LABOR PACT

The Sierra Club has taken another step in its effort to refocus its activism outside the Beltway on clean energy and climate change, announcing a new strategic alliance with the nation's largest private-sector manufacturing union aimed at influencing policymaking on issues such as global warming and toxic pollution. The alliance also bolsters a grassroots infrastructure that environmentalists say could ultimately boost debate on environmental issues in upcoming elections, including the 2008 presidential contest, with one source familiar with previous collaborations...

NAS OZONE REVIEW MAY FORCE EPA TO LOWER KEY RULES' BENEFITS ESTIMATES

EPA's decision to have the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) peer review a key ozone study may weaken pending air standards by preventing the agency from claiming health benefits from reducing ozone in upcoming air and mobile source rules while the study is undergoing review, agency staff and environmentalists say. But EPA air managers say they will not zero out benefits in the rules during the NAS peer review and will instead include the best estimates available when the rules...

EPA Questions Legality Of States' Plan To Retire SO2 Emissions Credits

BOSTON -- EPA is questioning the legality of a proposal from a group of Northeast states to restrict the number of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions credits that utilities can trade under their model power plant emissions rule that would be more stringent than the agency's clean air interstate rule (CAIR). Sam Napolitano, director of EPA's clean air markets division, told state officials meeting here June 6 not to "monkey with" emissions credits allocated under CAIR, saying it is legally "problematic."...

EPA Staff Push Agency For Tighter Particulate Pollution Controls

EPA staff are pushing agency managers to support a tightening of the proposed ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) standard floated by the agency late last year, arguing that stricter standards would not force the agency to amend strategies such as its Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), which officials have argued is adequate in many localities to ensure attainment with existing standards. However, some sources say any efforts to tighten the proposed limits could face an uphill battle within the Bush...

EPA Stationary Diesel Rule Likely To Match Existing Industry Standards

EPA's recent proposals for stationary engine emissions standards are unlikely to impose a large burden on the engine industry, since the new standards would be in line with existing production capabilities, EPA and industry sources say. The agency on May 23 proposed a two-part rule to reduce emissions from stationary spark ignition internal combustion engines, which usually burn gasoline or natural gas. These engines are often used at manufacturing facilities for combined heat and power operations, in natural gas pipelines...

Peacock Eyes Eco-Regions As New Way To Track Environment Progress

An initiative EPA Deputy Administrator Marcus Peacock launched to divide the agency's regional offices into four so-called "eco-regions" will form a new way of highlighting and tracking success in achieving a set of top regional and state environmental priorities such as energy issues in the West and disaster and hurricane preparedness in the Southeast, according to EPA documents and state sources. The effort, which Peacock launched last November and is still in the development stages, aims to "focus a spotlight...

Despite Automakers, Panel Asks EPA To Study Climate Change Air Impacts

Over the objections of the auto industry, an EPA advisory panel has agreed to ask the agency to assess the impacts of climate change on air quality, including studying how global warming could worsen pollution problems such as ozone. One source familiar with the discussions says, "The auto industry aggressively tried to derail any mention of climate at all" but was overruled by other members of the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee's (CAAAC) air quality management subcommittee. An auto industry...

EPA ASBESTOS PROJECT COULD BE FIRST STEP TO CHANGES IN AIR TOXICS RULE

EPA is moving forward with a research project that could be a first step toward revising an air toxics standard on the demolition of buildings that contain asbestos, a known carcinogen, despite earlier concerns from peer reviewers that the study raised an ethical quandary about testing of human subjects. The study comes as a pending lawsuit challenges the city of St. Louis's use of a similar demolition method, which plaintiffs contend poses a threat to human health even as it...

PEACOCK EYES ECO-REGIONS AS NEW WAY TO TRACK ENVIRONMENT PROGRESS

An initiative EPA Deputy Administrator Marcus Peacock launched to divide the agency's regional offices into four so-called eco-regions will form a new way of highlighting and tracking success in achieving a set of top regional and state environmental priorities such as energy issues in the West and disaster and hurricane preparedness in the Southeast, according to EPA documents and state sources. The effort, which Peacock launched last November and is still in the development stages, aims to "focus a spotlight...

Pages

Not a subscriber? Sign up for 30 days free access to exclusive environmental policy reporting.