EPA revises pollution laws

Manufacturing News, Source : TheManufacturer.com
Published : 25 Nov 2002 21:55

The Bush administration has unveiled revisions to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) pollution regulations that will let owners of old facilities, refineries, and power plants expand their facilities without having to meet the expensive and stringent pollution requirements.

The new regulations, however, have raised concerns among the greens and Democrats.

The old rules, introduced under former President Clinton, mandated companies to install new pollution systems whenever they expanded or renovated their facilities. Christie Whitman, EPA administrator, said the old rules have deterred companies from implementing projects that would increase energy efficiency and decrease air pollution.

The EPA’s rules have been revised to exempt certain companies from having to install the controls. If a plant is being upgraded and the price for the pollution controls exceeds 15% of the total cost, it would not have to install the controls, the EPA explained.

Democrats in Congress, however, say the new regulations violate the Clean Air Act. Since 1990, sulfur dioxide emissions have decreased 5 million tons nationally. But a recent Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) study found 16 states actually have higher pollution. The air in many states is either getting dirtier or barely improving, and many of the dirtiest plants are actually increasing emissions, said Eric Shaeffer, director of the EIP.

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