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.

Industry Suggests Peabody Ties Could Limit Impact Of DOE Coal Report

Peabody Energy -- whose officials played a key role drafting a recent Department of Energy (DOE) advisory panel report recommending ways to promote clean coal technologies and domestic coal use -- could undermine the report's policy impact because of the company's undue influence over the content of the report, which includes Peabody advertising slogans, industry sources say. The industry concern lends credence to recent criticisms from environmentalists that the report by the National Coal Council (NCC) -- the DOE advisory...

EPA Developing Voluntary Fuels Plan To Promote Biodiesel, E-85

EPA is developing a voluntary program to boost the use of biodiesel and ethanol-containing E-85 --- two fuels the agency may have limited ability to promote in its upcoming regulation to implement the renewable fuels mandate in the 2005 energy law, according to agency officials, fuel industry sources and environmentalists. Industry sources and environmentalists say the voluntary program for biodiesel, a fuel made from materials such as vegetable oil, comes as the agency is showing signs of rejecting a regulatory...

EPA DEVELOPING VOLUNTARY FUELS PLAN TO PROMOTE BIODIESEL, E-85

EPA is developing a voluntary program to boost the use of biodiesel and E-85 -- a fuel containing mostly ethanol -- two fuels the agency may have limited ability to promote in its upcoming regulation to implement the renewable fuels mandate in the 2005 energy law, according to agency officials, fuel industry sources and environmentalists. Industry sources and environmentalists say the voluntary program for biodiesel, a fuel made from materials such as vegetable oil, comes as the agency is showing...

CRITICS SAY NEW OHIO PLAN RELAXING NSR UNDERMINES KEY EPA CLAIMS

Recent changes the Ohio state legislature adopted easing the state's minor new source review (NSR) permitting program undermine Bush administration claims that relaxing the federal NSR program would not hurt the environment because state programs would serve as "backstops," critics say. State sources and environmentalists critical of the Bush NSR reforms fear that the push in Ohio could be a model for industry efforts to relax another aspect of the controversial Clean Air Act program. One environmentalist describes the combined...

BOAT INDUSTRY URGES ARB TO HARMONIZE EVAPORATIVE RULE WITH EPA

Fearing major economic hardships, boat industry representatives from around the country this week came to Sacramento to urge air board staff to avoid pursuing a state-specific standard for evaporative hydrocarbon (HC) emissions from pleasure craft, and instead harmonize its plans with a measure being developed by U.S. EPA. While air board staffers emphasized to the industry they are working with EPA to develop an adequate nationwide rule, they nonetheless said a state standard may be necessary to further reduce emissions...

TRUCKERS BLAST ARB PORT PLAN, CALL FOR LEGISLATIVE INTERVENTION

The California Trucking Association (CTA) is calling on the air board and lawmakers to postpone an upcoming decision on a key emission reduction plan for infrastructure expansion at ports, alleging many trucking companies will be unable to afford the plan's emission reduction requirements. The CTA also argues truckers were largely left out of the plan's development and, as a result, it contains unrealistic implementation goals for the industry. The latest changes to the Air Resources Board's Emission Reduction Plan (ERP)...

STATES, EPA AT ODDS OVER AGENCY ENFORCEMENT FLEXIBILITY PROGRAM

EPA and the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) are at an apparent impasse on how to give states credit for innovative compliance programs under a new initiative used to evaluate the quality of state enforcement programs, state sources say. EPA's Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance earlier this year released a draft "concept paper" outlining the agency's latest thinking on awarding credit under so-called Element 13 of the State Review Framework, under which EPA provides a consistent method of...

PENDING NSR RULE MAY GIVE INDUSTRY RELIEF FOLLOWING COURT RULING

The White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) is reviewing a long-awaited EPA rule providing new flexibility for power generators and industrial facilities under the agency's new source review (NSR) program, after a federal appellate decision last month overturned a rule that would have provided broad NSR relief. According to OMB's Web site, the office is now reviewing a regulation to determine whether small amounts of emissions from multiple activities within one facility trigger NSR, known as aggregation, and...

EPA PLAN SEEKS TO BOOST STATE IDLING LAWS DESPITE KEY EXEMPTIONS

Draft model legislation EPA helped develop so that states can promulgate standardized anti-idling laws recommends general limits on idling but contains industry-backed exemptions for rest stops and financial assurance requirements to which states may object, according to state and other sources. EPA began the effort of helping to craft model state legislation in response to longstanding trucking industry concerns that a patchwork of differing state regulations creates confusion. California is also currently poised to implement an anti-idling approach with some...

GROUP TO ASK NHTSA TO REVISE FUEL SAVINGS ESTIMATES IN CAFE RULE

Public Citizen says it will soon send a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), asking the agency to revise its estimate that the new corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) rule for light trucks will save 10.7 billion gallons of fuel. A source with the group says the estimate is erroneous because it assumes that all manufacturers will switch to the new rule in model year 2008 vehicles, while the agency does not require a full switchover until...

Group To Ask NHTSA To Revise Fuel Savings Estimates In CAFE Rule

Public Citizen says it will soon send a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), asking the agency to revise its estimate that the new corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) rule for light trucks will save 10.7 billion gallons of fuel. A source with the group says the estimate is erroneous because it assumes that all manufacturers will switch to the new rule in model year 2008 vehicles, while the agency does not require a full switchover until...

EPA Plan To Boost State Idling Laws Backs Key Exemptions Sought By Industry

Draft model legislation EPA helped develop so that states can promulgate standardized anti-idling laws recommends general limits on idling but contains industry-backed exemptions for rest stops and financial assurance requirements to which states may object, according to state and other sources. EPA began the effort of helping to craft model state legislation in response to longstanding trucking industry concerns that a patchwork of differing state regulations creates confusion. California is also currently poised to implement an anti-idling approach with some...

California Officials At Odds Over Timing Of CO2 Emissions Cap

SAN FRANCISCO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and state Democrats are at odds over when the state should implement a first-time cap on carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions from various industry sectors, a dispute that could hamper legislation introduced by key assembly Democrats last week that would create a cap more quickly than what Schwarzenegger is proposing. Schwarzenegger this week called on state officials to delay a decision on whether various industry sectors' CO2 and other greenhouse...

NHTSA Analysis Suggests New CAFE Fuel Reductions May Be Overstated

Analysis conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for its recent fuel economy rule suggests the agency may be overestimating projected fuel consumption reductions that would result from the regulation. The analysis , buried deep in the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) rule, suggests NHTSA is taking credit for almost one-third of projected fuel consumption reductions that would result from the industry practice of making more fuel efficient cars to meet consumer demand stemming from high fuel prices...

EPA Prompts Activist Concern Over PM Rule On Highway 'Hot Spots'

Environmentalists are raising concerns over a new EPA rule that changes methods for states to address localized concentrations of particulate matter (PM) on busy highways, known as "hot spots." Activists say EPA's newly issued final rule includes an artificially high threshold for how significant highway projects must be before triggering a review of their pollution impacts. EPA published in the March 10 Federal Register a rule for determining in what cases states need to analyze the air quality impacts of...

Pending NSR Rule May Give Industry Relief Following Court Ruling

The White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) is reviewing a long-awaited EPA rule providing new flexibility for power generators and industrial facilities under the agency's new source review (NSR) program that could provide new flexibility to industry after a federal appellate ruling last month overturned a rule that would have provided broad NSR relief. According to OMB's website, the office is now reviewing a regulation to determine whether small amounts of emissions from multiple activities within one facility...

EPA Eyes Sector 'Compliance Rates' To Measure Enforcement Success

EPA is planning to use "statistical compliance rates" in various industrial sectors as a new measure of the success of its enforcement programs, a plan proponents say will allow the agency to move away from counting inspections, enforcement orders issued, penalties and fines and other traditional measures of enforcement success. Agency sources say their planned use of the controversial performance measure is intended to show better environmental outcomes under the White House's Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART), which the White...

CRITICS FEAR GOP GULF LIABILITY BILL MAY PROMPT CLEANUP WAIVERS

Language in a new House Judiciary Committee bill intended to shield disaster relief volunteers from litigation could provide sweeping liability exemptions for toxic waste site cleanups conducted by companies and EPA in the heavily industrialized Gulf Coast region, according to Democratic and other critics of the plan. But the business community, a strong proponent of the legislation, disputes that interpretation, and says the bill is intended to provide a uniform national system so volunteers will not be subject to lawsuits...

EPA EYES SECTOR 'COMPLIANCE RATES' TO MEASURE ENFORCEMENT SUCCESS

EPA is planning to use "statistical compliance rates" in various industrial sectors as a new measure of the success of its enforcement programs, a plan proponents say will allow the agency to move away from counting inspections, enforcement orders issued, penalties and fines and other traditional measures of enforcement success. Agency sources say their planned use of the controversial performance measure is intended to show better environmental outcomes under the White House's Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART), which the White...

Momentum Builds For Legislation Exempting CAFOs From Superfund

A House bill to exempt concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) from the Superfund law is gaining momentum, with over a hundred co-sponsors signing on and the possibility of a companion bill in the Senate. The bill, introduced last fall by Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX), would exempt CAFOs from both cleanup and reporting requirements under Superfund. It comes amid several pending lawsuits by state and local governments seeking to hold industry liable for water pollution due to animal waste used as...

Pages

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