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.

Revived Biomonitoring Bills May Get Boost From Hurricane Recovery Push

Bipartisan legislation introduced in the House and Senate that would establish a health-effects tracking network for first responders, including controversial biomonitoring measures, could get a boost from congressional efforts to respond to the Gulf Coast recovery, as well as recent heightened concerns about the federal government's lax assessment of emergency worker health threats following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, according to proponents of the bills. The legislation is a reintroduction of a bill that was unanimously approved by the Senate two...

Top California Energy Official's Support Of Coal Offsets Criticized

A policy memo by one of California's top energy officials indicating support for pollution offsets for certain coal power plants, is drawing objections from clean and renewable energy advocates. The debate over the offset issue is considered crucial in determining how many and what types of coal power plants are built in Western states, and comes at a time when the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) is heading the state's landmark initiative to draft recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)...

SENATE GOP MAY DEFER CONTROVERSIAL REFINERY ISSUES UNTIL CONFERENCE

A key Senate Republican is suggesting that lawmakers may have to wait until a possible congressional conference committee negotiates refinery legislation before deciding whether to pursue controversial proposals in a House GOP bill that are intended to boost refining capacity in the wake of the two recent hurricanes. The suggestion by Senate Energy & Natural Resources Chairman Pete Domenici (R-NM) could foreshadow the emerging strategy to pass refinery legislation, as the House may approve as early as next week a...

ENERGY PANEL CHAIRMAN'S SUPPORT FOR COAL OFFSETS SPARKS CRITICISM

A policy memo by one of the state's top energy officials indicating support of pollution offsets for certain coal power plants is prompting clean and renewable energy advocates to object, and may create a conflict within the administration, according to sources. The policy memo comes at a time when Cal/EPA is heading an administration initiative to draft recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which some believe may be compromised if the state allows certain coal plants to flourish in...

LAWSUITS TARGETING NEW CENTRAL VALLEY DAIRIES PUT INDUSTRY ON ALERT

More than 40 large dairies eyeing relocation from southern California to the San Joaquin Valley are carefully watching lawsuits filed by environmentalists, who allege that two new dairies failed to obtain key air permits. The lawsuits could determine whether dozens of the dairies, which historically are significant contributors to the valley's poor air quality, continue to relocate to the region. Many dairies have already moved out of state over the strict rules and fear of litigation, according to sources. The...

PRESSURE PROMPTS ARB TO POSTPONE MAJOR OFF-ROAD REGULATION

Under increasing pressure from industry and more than a dozen lawmakers, air board officials this week indefinitely postponed a major regulation to limit pollution from forklifts and other off-road, gasoline- and propane-fueled vehicles. The rule, which top air board officials now say must be reworked to eliminate flaws, is considered a significant element of the state implementation plan (SIP) to achieve federal ambient air quality standards. At issue is the Air Resources Board's proposed large spark ignition (LSI) off-road engine...

GOVERNOR APPOINTS OUSTED ARB CHAIR AS CAL/EPA ASSISTANT SECRETARY

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this week appointed Cindy Tuck -- who served a brief stint this summer as air board chair before being rejected by the Senate -- as Cal/EPA assistant secretary for policy. Environmentalists, who heavily opposed Tuck as air board chief, said they are much more supportive of the governor's appointment this time around because her new role would be implementing policy priorities rather than setting them. "I'm glad to see she'll have the opportunity to realize her goal...

ARB SCRAMBLES TO CALM CRITICISM OVER SCHOOL BUS CLEANUP FUNDING

Air board officials are trying to allay the concerns of some lawmakers and other stakeholders over the disbursement of $25 million to clean up dirty diesel school buses, after concluding they will not be able to dole out the money soon. After at least one Central Valley senator considered a special legislative hearing on the matter and urged air board officials to send more money to areas with the most-polluting buses, air board officials are now aiming to provide funding...

ASSEMBLY PROBES HEALTH IMPACTS OF PORT, INFRASTRUCTURE EXPANSION

An Assembly committee is probing the health effects and potential mitigation requirements related to the expected expansion of ports and goods movement infrastructure statewide, suggesting that these issues are not being fully considered by the Schwarzenegger Administration's Goods Movement Action Plan. The chairwoman of the committee is expected to announce legislation after a special committee hearing next month to address the perceived problems, according to a legislative source. The Assembly Transportation Committee, chaired by Assemblywoman Jenny Oropeza (D-Long Beach), is...

ALTERNATIVE FUEL INDUSTRY URGES CAL/EPA TO SPEED APPROVAL PROCESS

Alternative fuel industry representatives are concerned that Cal/EPA's process of reviewing and approving new fuels and additives is too slow and is hampering industry efforts to introduce new products into the marketplace, which they claim is actually hurting emission-reduction advances. These representatives are urging agency officials to make changes to a draft guidance document on the process to bolster the ability of their products to hit the California market. The concerns come after Cal/EPA hosted a Sept. 13 workshop to...

CIRCUIT RULING MAY VASTLY BROADEN EPA NAAQS DEADLINE AUTHORITY

A recent ruling by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals provides U.S. EPA broad discretion in giving the San Joaquin Valley air district area more time to meet a statutory clean air deadline, potentially granting the agency much more leeway in allowing additional time -- without penalty -- for other areas to meet national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), environmentalists say. The court agreed with EPA in Association of Irritated Residents v. EPA, et al., that the agency has...

CRITICISM MAY FORESHADOW STATE-LEVEL FIGHTS ON REGIONAL CLIMATE PLAN

The Northeast's greenhouse gas trading program is facing a late spate of criticism from environmentalists and industry groups, which may persist and plague the nine states' effort to implement the landmark program after top environment officials approve it as soon as this week, observers say. The observers say the 11th-hour criticism may not delay the plan, but could foreshadow complications when individual states develop implementing rules and legislation. States will face "the big practical hurdle" when they take the plan...

STATES RAISE CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS OVER URBAN PM COARSE PROPOSAL

Several western states are warning EPA that agency staff proposals to issue a new standard regulating coarse particulate matter (PM) only in urban areas would violate the U.S. Constitution's equal protection clause by exempting rural areas and failing to protect rural residents' health. At the same time, several of EPA's science advisers are urging the agency not to adopt an urban-only national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for coarse particles, known as "PM coarse," with one adviser believing such a...

Controversial Refinery Issues May Be Delayed Until Conference Committee

A key Senate Republican is suggesting that lawmakers may have to wait until a possible congressional conference committee negotiates refinery legislation before deciding whether to pursue controversial proposals in a House GOP bill that are intended to boost refining capacity in the wake of the two recent hurricanes. The suggestion by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Pete Domenici (R-NM) could foreshadow the emerging strategy to pass refinery legislation, as the House may approve as early as next week a...

Criticism May Foreshadow State-Level Fights On Regional Climate Plan

The Northeast greenhouse gas trading program is facing a late spate of criticism from environmentalists and industry groups, which may persist and plague the nine states' effort to implement the landmark program after top environment officials approve it as soon as this week, observers say. The observers say that 11th-hour criticism may not necessarily delay the plan, but could foreshadow complications when individual states develop implementing rules and legislation. States will face "the big practical hurdle" when they take the...

EPA Fine Particle Proposal Likely To Face Challenge From Environmentalists

EPA's long-awaited rule to implement new limits on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) --- which relaxes some key requirements --- appears likely to meet challenges from environmentalists, who had urged it to be more prescriptive. Specifically, the rule does not require strict deadlines and pollution control requirements that activists have been seeking; it relaxes new source review (NSR) requirements in some areas compared to an earlier standard for large particles; and it eliminates another pollution control mandate, known as reasonably available...

OMB, EPA Seek Outside Scientific Review Of Ozone Risk Estimates

EPA staff say White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) officials are seeking outside scrutiny of agency ozone mortality risk estimates, which may affect EPA's ability to justify upcoming rules imposing emissions limits on mobile sources, power plants and industrial boilers. EPA analysts are currently combining ozone mortality estimates for upcoming national air standards from four extensive studies that show that ozone exposures can cause premature deaths. The EPA review would mark a first-time endorsement of recent scientific studies...

California Rejects Fleet Rules To Avoid Problems With EPA Waivers

California air officials earlier this month narrowly rejected adopting state versions of two disputed South Coast air district alternative-fuel fleet rules, fearing that such a move may set a bad precedent to obtaining future Clean Air Act waivers from EPA. State air board members at a Sept. 15 special meeting to consider the rules added that the EPA waiver application process is becoming increasingly frustrating and drawn out, and state officials are trying to improve the process through recent high-level...

EPA AIR MONITORING PLAN FOR HURRICANE WASTE DISPOSAL FACES CRITICISM

EPA is facing criticisms from its science advisers over plans to monitor emissions likely to result from Louisiana's efforts to dispose of significant quantities of Hurricane Katrina debris through incineration and open burning. Members of a special Science Advisory Board (SAB) workgroup said Sept. 14 that when large-scale burning of building debris, dead livestock and other waste occurs, it will increase emissions of fine particles (PM2.5) and EPA should rework its air monitoring plan to increase monitoring of open burning...

EPA ADVISERS RAISE CONCERN OVER AIR IMPACTS OF HURRICANE SEDIMENT

EPA's science advisers are raising concerns that dust generated by contaminated sediment left behind by New Orleans floodwaters could pose public health threats. As a result, members of a special Science Advisory Board (SAB) workgroup are urging the agency to develop a plan for monitoring air particles from sediment dust, which the agency could use to issue public health warnings and determine when people could move back into flooded residential areas of the city. The panelists said on a Sept...

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