WASHINGTON DC, US: The US District Court for District of Columbia have rejected the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) administrative stay on a rule that sets air toxics standards for boilers and commercial solid waste incinerators. In March 2011, EPA published maximum achievable control technology (MACT) but immediately, the agency issued a notice of delay and began to reconsider the rule after affected industries complained that the standards were too difficult and would hurt their competitiveness.
On 2 December 2011, the EPA issued a revised rule that agency officials said is 50 per cent less costly for industry than the original proposal, while still meeting the requirements laid out in the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments. The agency also revised emission limits on incinerators, including those for dioxin and mercury. The EPA said it would finalize the reconsideration in spring 2012, following 60 days for public comment.
“This ruling reinforces the urgent need for prompt congressional passage of the EPA Regulatory Relief Act. The legislation will provide EPA with the time it needs to fully analyze and prepare a new rule. It will also provide the critically-needed legal and business certainty to avoid putting tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs at risk,” said Donna Harman, President and CEO, American Forest and Paper Association.
© Environment News Service