EPA SETS TIMETABLE FOR GREENHOUSE GAS REGULATIONS
News Date February 23, 2010
Amidst Congressional efforts to halt their efforts to address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Obama Administration laid out a prospective timetable for phasing in permit requirements and regulations of GHG for large stationary sources.
In a letter responding to eight moderate Senate Democrats concerned with the timing and process for regulations, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson presented her expectations for the coming years. To begin, Administrator Jackson assured that no action will be taken in calendar year 2010. However, beginning in the first half of 2011, she expects facilities already required to apply for CAA permits, as a result of their non-GHG emissions, will need to address their GHG emissions in their permitting applications. Altogether, the Administrator anticipates fewer than 400 facilities will be impacted at this time. Throughout 2011, other large sources will be phased-in. Between late 2011 and 2013, she expects the threshold for permitting to be much higher than 25,000-tons, which was the previous limit proposed by EPA. In any case, Administrator Jackson does not expect any smaller sources to be subjected to the permitting prior to 2016.
During its 2010 Midyear Legislative Conference earlier this month, NASDA joined over 100 agricultural organizations in support of a Congressional resolution of disapproval of the EPA’s GHG endangerment rule. The resolution, which must be agreed to by both bodies of Congress and eventually signed by the President, was introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). (Contact: David Hickey)