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 POLICY CHIEF EYES CONTENTIOUS METHOD TO ESTIMATE RULES' BENEFITS

EPA's policy office chief is urging staff economists to adopt a controversial method of assessing the financial benefits of preserving segments of people's lives rather than entire lives, which could dramatically reduce EPA's ability to justify air and other regulations under cost-benefit tests, sources say. The directive is part of deliberations over an EPA-wide effort to revise the agency's internal guidelines for placing dollar values on prevented cases of illness and death resulting from EPA rules, analyses which accompany regulatory...

APPROPRIATORS PUSH EPA TO OVERHAUL FOCUS AS BUDGET CRUNCH GROWS

House appropriators are pressing EPA to consider realigning its regional priorities and overhauling its state oversight given limited resources in an increasingly tough budget environment, as the lawmakers slashed funding for new EPA energy and homeland security programs and redirected some funding to what they call "mission essential" agency programs. At the same time, the House Appropriations Committee has set the stage for a contentious floor fight over EPA's fiscal year 2007 spending bill, after lawmakers added two Democratic-sponsored climate...

JOHNSON ELEVATES HOMELAND SECURITY AMID QUESTIONS OVER PRIORITIES

EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson has created a new, high-level position to oversee homeland security activities at the agency as it faces questions from Bush administration officials and lawmakers on whether it has the expertise -- or funding -- to implement domestic security operations. Placing a top-level staffer in a senior homeland security position could bolster EPA's status in interagency talks over domestic security issues, where it has repeatedly been rebuffed by senior Bush administration officials because of what they say...

SENATE GOP SEEKS ENVIRONMENT PANEL OVERSIGHT OF SAFE CHEMICAL ISSUE

Senate Republicans say a Democratic proposal to force the chemical industry to reduce the hazards of its products as part of chemical plant security legislation should fall under the jurisdiction of the Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee instead of the homeland security panel, an assertion aimed at throwing a procedural roadblock at the contentious proposal. The assertion reflects a strategy by industry and Republican opponents of so-called inherently safer technology (IST) rules to frame the IST proposals as an...

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES WILL ATTACK SCHWARZENEGGER ON ENVIRONMENT

The two leading Democratic candidates in this year's California gubernatorial race are each poised to make environmental issues a key factor in the race against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). Priority issues may include greenhouse gas (GHG) controls, mandatory penalties for air quality violations, the state's role in taking on the federal government to protect the environment, and biomonitoring, the candidates said at last month's state Democratic convention. But several political analysts and environmentalists have predicted the Democratic nominee for governor...

EPA DELAY IN PERC RISK STUDY MAY UNDERMINE DRY CLEANING FACILITY RULE

EPA science chief George Gray's delay of a final risk review of the dry-cleaner solvent perchloroethylene (PERC), following recommendations from industry, could undermine an EPA air office effort to issue an air toxic rule for dry cleaning facilities which emit the solvent, agency sources say. Gray is delaying the review to implement for the first time his plans for broader consideration of scientific uncertainty in EPA risk assessments in the agency's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database. But the delay...

EPA Aims To Ensure Credibility Of Projects In Voluntary Climate Plan

Upcoming EPA guidelines for voluntary projects to reduce greenhouse gases will seek to set standards for ensuring these projects are credible by using a novel "performance-based" method that examines whether projects exceed the industry standard for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The guidelines, which will be released in coming months under the agency's voluntary Climate Leaders program, are expected to rely on a method for awarding emissions credits to projects that was developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and World...

EPA Clashes With States On Design Of CAIR Emissions Trading Plan

EPA and some Northeast states are at odds over the amount of emissions that should constitute a pollution credit under the federal clean air interstate rule's (CAIR) cap-and-trade program, as the agency is trying to limit the flexibility of states that want to participate in the emissions trading program. At issue is state flexibility in determining how many tons of emissions are contained in a credit that facilities can buy or sell as they work to meet pollution caps set...

ARMY EYES LOW-EMITTING CO2 COOLANT TO REPLACE HFCS IN FUTURE FLEETS

The Army is considering new cooling systems for its future fleet of tactical vehicles, which rely on a low-emitting breakthrough technology that uses carbon dioxide (CO2) rather than the current technology that relies on high-emitting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a major greenhouse gas, according to Army sources. "In two short years . . . the EPA has extolled the environmental advantages of using CO2 instead of [HFCs], and the Army is currently considering making [CO2-based cooling] the standard cooling system on the...

EPA POLICY CHIEF EYES CONTENTIOUS METHOD TO ESTIMATE RULES' BENEFITS

EPA's policy office chief is urging staff economists to adopt a controversial method of assessing the financial benefits of preserving segments of people's lives rather than entire lives, which could dramatically reduce EPA's ability to justify regulations under cost-benefit tests, sources say. The directive is part of deliberations over an EPA-wide effort to revise the agency's internal guidelines for placing dollar values on prevented cases of illness and death resulting from EPA rules, analyses which accompany regulatory proposals and are...

DEMOCRAT'S CALL FOR SCIENCE POLICY STUDIES MAY PUSH ELECTION MESSAGE

A House Democratic lawmaker is seeking a broad investigation into allegations that the Bush administration is manipulating EPA and other agencies' scientific data to justify preferred policy outcomes, a request that observers say could help Democrats deliver their election-year message that Republicans are corrupt and not fit to govern. Rep. David Wu (D-OR), the ranking member of the House Science panel's environment subcommittee, is asking the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to develop a list of delayed scientific reports, as well...

Democrats' Budget Amendments To Target EPA Water, TRI Policies

House Democrats this week are planning to offer amendments to EPA's fiscal year 2007 appropriations bill that would block the agency from implementing controversial reforms to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reporting program, and bar implementation of a contentious policy that critics say limits the scope of the Clean Water Act, according to House sources and lobbyists. At the same time, House Republicans will likely attempt to strip from the spending legislation a non-binding resolution calling on Congress to enact...

High Court Sets Stage For Resolving Lengthy NSR Dispute Over Emissions 'Increases'

The Supreme Court's decision to review the controversial appellate ruling on the proper interpretation of Clean Air Act new source review (NSR) rules sets the stage for possible resolution of a decades long-dispute over the scope of emissions increases that triggers environmental control requirements for power plants and other industrial sources, according to legal experts. However, the court's decision to hear the case will also prompt a debate over the proper court venue for interpreting federal Clean Air Act regulations,...

SUPERFUND SUIT PROMPTS STATE BILL TO EXEMPT CAFOS FROM CLEANUP

A landmark natural resource damages (NRD) lawsuit filed by Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson (D) against concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) is prompting state lawmakers to push a bill that would exempt animal waste from state pollution rules. Industry sources say the Oklahoma bill could set the stage for other states to consider similar measures at a time when major national agriculture industry groups are also urging federal lawmakers to exempt manure from Superfund law to prevent enforcement against CAFOs...

IN 11TH-HOUR MEETING WITH OMB, FARM GROUPS URGE NARROW CAFO MANDATES

The agriculture industry is urging White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) officials to back narrow permitting requirements in EPA's concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) rule, as the office is completing its review of changes the agency made to the regulation to comply with a federal appellate decision, industry sources say. The push comes amid growing pressure from environmentalists to include provisions in a final CAFO rule that some agriculture industry sources believe go beyond a decision last year...

INDUSTRY'S CO2 INSURANCE PLAN SEEKS TO BLOCK STATE WASTE RULES

An oil and gas industry group is floating model legislation that would establish a first-time federal insurance program for the risks associated with underground storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) to combat global warming, which restricts the insurance to states that do not strictly regulate CO2 as a waste. The proposal also addresses how to regulate the practice of CO2 storage -- a system neither state nor federal regulators have yet created -- by recommending a federal standard for CO2 storage...

GHG PERFORMANCE STANDARD TARGETING COAL POWER HITS MAJOR SNAGS

The Senate leader's effort to enact a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions performance standard for future power purchases is hitting snags because of recent analyses that say the bill may prohibit some conventional in-state energy sources and drive up electricity prices. But environmentalists sponsoring the measure say these fears are unfounded and based on a misreading of the bill; nevertheless, they are working with Senate staffers and opponents to try to hammer out substantive amendments, according to sources. The bill is...

GROWTH CONCERNS PROMPT ACTIVISTS TO CONSIDER BOND PLAN CHALLENGE

Environmentalists are considering whether to fight a bipartisan bond initiative package for infrastructure improvements passed last week by the Legislature and endorsed by the governor, based on concerns that many of its provisions are growth-inducing. But these concerns are being weighed against the potentially severe political and financial repercussions that may result from such opposition, let alone the positive air and water quality reforms contained in the proposal, a political consultant said. The Legislature May 5 approved for placement on...

DRAFT ARB BIODIESEL POLICY CHANGE SEEN EMBRACING MORE 20% BLEND USE

A draft air board policy change on biodiesel fuel appears to allow broader use of 20% biodiesel blends, or B-20, in older vehicles that use new diesel particulate matter (PM) filter traps, sources said this week. The proposed policy change may also bolster the prospects of legislation mandating the use of minimum biodiesel blends. The draft Air Resources Board policy on biodiesel blends is expected to be unveiled soon for public review, according to sources. However, a copy of the...

BILL REQUIRING MORE ETHANOL IN RFG STUMBLES OVER POLLUTION FEARS

Legislation directing the air board to alter its reformulated gasoline (RFG) regulations to increase ethanol content has hit a rocky road in the Senate, based on concerns by environmentalists that air quality is likely to worsen under the plan. Pro-ethanol groups backing the measure are attempting to hammer out amendments to the legislation to get it past a major policy committee next week, sources said. The legislation is significant because it would affect the Air Resources Board's fuel regulations, the...

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