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.

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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 DEFENDS AIR TOXICS PROGRAMS DESPITE NEW DATA ON HIGH CANCER RISK

EPA is defending the effectiveness of its air toxics programs despite new, unpublished data showing the average person has a 48-in-one-million risk of developing cancer because of exposure to hazardous air pollutants, which far exceeds the agency's one-in-one-million risk goal. The study also finds that in some areas of the country, the risk could be higher than 100 in one million. EPA generally considers cancer risk levels exceeding one in one million from a particular source "actionable." The findings are...

EPA EYES REVAMPING PSD RULES TO CAP POLLUTION, PROTECT ECOSYSTEMS

EPA may revamp the way it sets pollution limits in its prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) permit program for national parks and other areas that attain air quality standards by setting a fixed cap defining how much total pollution an area can sustain before harm occurs. In an upcoming proposal due early next year, the agency may adopt the cap in lieu of its traditional approach, which allows new and modified air pollution sources to incrementally increase pollution. The potential...

BAUCUS COULD PLAY KEY ROLE IN SENATE PANEL'S CLEAR SKIES DEBATE

Senate Republicans' ability to pass President Bush's Clear Skies bill out of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee by next March could rest on Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), who has recently sided with Republicans on key environmental bills but has been hesitant to endorse the president's utility pollution plan. Baucus' role as the critical swing voter will likely be sealed over the next week when Senate leaders determine how large a margin Republicans will have on the committee next...

EPA AGREEMENT TO DELAY FORMALDEHYDE RISK REVIEW SPARKS UNCERTAINTY

EPA has agreed to a request from Senate environment panel Chairman James Inhofe (R-OK) to delay a formaldehyde risk review, creating uncertainty for plywood makers, the natural gas turbine industry and states about Clean Air Act exemptions for the pollutant the industries have been granted or are seeking. The industry groups sought the exemptions by arguing that formaldehyde emissions from their operations posed minimal risks. But the delay in EPA's risk review may alter the data that the agency relied...

NEW MOBILE SOURCE MODEL MAY BOOST CALLS FOR STRICTER REGULATIONS

EPA's ongoing development of a new mobile source emissions model that will, for the first time, include uncertainty as a factor among other unprecedented features could convince Congress that additional regulation of mobile sources is necessary, according to an EPA official. The model under development, Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES), previously known as the New Generation Model, is a new software framework designed to ultimately replace the current model, MOBILE6. MOVES will include uncertainty in data collection and projection of...

EPA Delay Of Formaldehyde Review Raises Doubt About Air Act Waivers

EPA has agreed to a request by Senate environment committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-OK) to delay a formaldehyde risk review, prompting questions among plywood makers, the natural gas turbine industry and state air regulators about proposed Clean Air Act exemptions for the pollutant. The industry groups sought the exemptions by arguing that formaldehyde emissions from their operations posed minimal risks. But the delay in EPA's risk review may alter the data that the agency relied on when initially proposing to...

Pediatricians Say EPA Air Rules Fail To Adequately Protect Children

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that EPA's ambient air quality standards for ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) issued nearly a decade ago are not stringent enough to prevent adverse health effects in children. The group also says EPA's air toxics strategies are inadequate for children as well. The move is significant because it demonstrates the increasing involvement of patient and other medical groups in environmental policy debates and could help environmentalists in their push for EPA to...

Greenhouse Reports By Utilities May Boost Momentum For Legislation

Investor groups that support pro-environment policies say reports issued to shareholders this year by two electric power companies may increase momentum for greenhouse gas legislation similar to a leading plan introduced in Congress by Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Joseph Lieberman (D-CT). While not endorsing any new law, the reports acknowledge that future climate mandates for the power sector are all but certain. The reports are being touted by investor groups represented by the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies, or...

DOE, UTILITY CLIMATE PACT OMITS ENDORSEMENT OF REGULATORY CREDITS

The Department of Energy and the electricity utility sector have signed an agreement on voluntary greenhouse gas cuts that omits language from an earlier proposal which would have committed the department to awarding emission-reduction credits for any future regulations as part of a climate change registry being revamped by the agency. An industry source says the agreement is separate from an ongoing process for revising guidelines on the so-called 1605(b) registry, but the omission nevertheless underscore DOE's reluctance to adopt...

EPA DEFENDS TOXICS PROGRAMS DESPITE NEW DATA ON HIGH CANCER RISK

EPA is defending the effectiveness of its air toxics programs despite new, unpublished data showing the average person has a 48 in a million risk of developing cancer because of exposure to hazardous air pollutants far exceeding the agency's one in a million risk goal. The data also finds that in some areas of the country, the risk could be higher than 100 in a million. EPA generally considers cancer risk levels exceeding one in a million from a particular...

CRITICS FEAR CLEAR SKIES SPONSORS MAY SEEK ALTERNATIVE VEHICLE

Senate supporters of the Bush administration's Clear Skies proposal are unlikely to find the votes to pass it in the Environment & Public Works Committee, and may instead try to attach the legislation to an unrelated measure on the floor, environmentalists and congressional sources say. But a spokesperson for committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-OK) says the senator intends to pass Clear Skies as freestanding legislation. The source says Inhofe plans to hold hearings on the bill next month and a...

NEW STUDY PROVIDES ROADMAP ON CREDITING EFFICIENCY IN TRADING PLANS

An energy efficiency group is developing a roadmap on ways to credit energy-saving measures toward pollution reduction goals in emissions trading programs, which could play a role in increasingly high-profile state and federal discussions on addressing rising natural gas prices, along with air pollution and climate change, according to industry and environmental groups. Development of the analysis comes as industrial electricity users squeezed by high natural gas prices are calling for federal legislation and rules to boost natural gas supplies...

EPA, PULP INDUSTRY DOUBT BENEFIT FROM MEETING ACTIVIST DEMANDS

EPA and the pulp and paper industry are raising doubts about a new campaign launched by environmentalists to encourage facilities to clean up their production methods so they can be declassified as major sources of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). One agency source says the declassification incentive is false because of an agency air toxics policy known as "once in, always in," meaning that factories already subject to regulation could not be released. A spokeswoman for tissue industry leader Kimberly Clark,...

GROUPS EYE NEW LAWSUIT OVER HAZARDOUS WASTE INCINERATORS RULE

Environmentalists are considering fresh legal action against EPA because they say the agency's proposed rule for the last remaining category of waste incinerators falls far short of what a court-ordered agreement requires. Earthjustice and Sierra Club say they may go back to court under the existing consent decree to try and force a more stringent proposal or file a new lawsuit, should EPA finalize what they consider a weak maximum achievable control technology (MACT) for the last remaining category of...

EEI OFFICIAL PREDICTS EPA WILL LOWER COST THRESHOLD IN NSR REFORM

SAVANNAH, GA -- An Edison Electric Institute (EEI) official expects EPA to tighten the controversial 20 percent cost threshold the agency finalized in its contentious new source review (NSR) equipment replacement rule, which determines whether utilities are exempt from emission control requirements when modifying their plants. Quin Shae, EEI's environment group director, told a National Conference of State Legislature's (NCSL) meeting here that he expects EPA to lower the 20 percent exemption when the agency replies to a petition for...

NEW MOBILE SOURCE MODEL MAY BOOST CALLS FOR STRICTER REGULATIONS

EPA's ongoing development of a new generation mobile source model that will, for the first time, include uncertainty as a factor among other unprecedented features, could convince Congress that additional regulation of mobile sources is necessary, according to an EPA official. The model under development, Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES), previously known as the New Generation Model, is a new software framework designed to ultimately replace the current model, MOBILE6. MOVES will include uncertainty in data collection and projection of...

INVESTORS EXTEND CLIMATE CHANGE PUSH TO REAL ESTATE, MANUFACTURERS

Sustainable investment groups are planning to ask real estate companies how they are taking action to reduce energy use that contributes to global warming, as part of a push to extend a shareholder climate change campaign to a broader range of industries. The shareholder groups also expect to file new resolutions at manufacturing companies, while continuing efforts from past years to target automakers and power plants. A source with the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility says that shareholders are broadening...

POWER COMPANY CLIMATE REPORTS MAY BOOST LEGISLATIVE MOMENTUM

Investor groups say reports issued to shareholders this year by two electric power companies may increase momentum for greenhouse gas (GHG) legislation similar to the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act. While not endorsing any new law, the reports acknowledge that future climate mandates for the power sector are all but certain. "For them to recognize that greenhouse gas regulation is inevitable, that's a big step," one source with an investor group says. Sustainable investment sources say a new report issued by...

DOJ SEEKS REVERSAL OF OPEN RECORD RULES FOR SOME ADVISORY PANELS

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is asking the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to reverse an earlier ruling that applied the open record requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) to executive branch task forces that informally included non-governmental members. Oral arguments are scheduled for Jan. 27 in the case, which is on remand from the Supreme Court. Critics of the government's position say if DOJ in its appeal of the long-running case...

CRITICS SAY AUTOMAKER SUIT OVER CALIFORNIA CLIMATE RULE PREMATURE

California state officials and environmentalist attorneys say the lawsuit filed last week by the auto industry to overturn the state's greenhouse gas auto regulation is aimed at slowing momentum behind the adoption of similar rules elsewhere, and is an effort to "make people nervous" in California and other states. They add that the suit is almost certain to be dismissed because it was filed while the rule is not yet final. But auto industry sources say there is no ulterior...

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