The Diesel Emission Reduction Grant program (DERG) funds clean diesel projects, including diesel exhaust retrofits, engine repowers and replacements.  The program is intended to provide voluntary funding to reduce diesel emissions to assist Ohio in meeting federal air quality standards. 

The more voluntary reductions for vehicles the less reductions are needed from industry to meet

The Obama Administration, after stopping the implementation of the Bush-era ozone standard, has delayed choosing a revised standard three times.  These delays had given hope that EPA may wait to choose a revised standard until after the election. 

In conversations with representatives for industry most impacted by the revised ozone standards, they told me they thought the Administration was positioning

This week U.S. EPA finalized its long awaited rule making establishing air emission standards for industrial and commercial boilers.  The standards are to reduce emissions of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) by requiring sources to install or meet of Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT).

Controversial Rulemaking Process Comes to an End

EPA proposed MACT standards in spring of 2010 which were

Back in 2007, U.S. EPA was sued by some States and environmental groups who challenged the legitimacy of the ozone standard -75 parts per billion (ppb)- selected by the Bush Administration.  In 2009, the Obama Administration announced that it was reconsidering the 75 ppb standard.

U.S. EPA is likely to revise the standard to somewhere between 60 ppb

Many of the Midwest states, including Ohio, face significant state budget shortfalls- Ohio faces a projected $8 billion dollar hole in its next budget.  With the shortfalls, is very unlikely additional revenue will be available to support existing programs.

The state budget crisis occurs at the same time U.S. EPA has been very active in revising federal air

In a prior post I discussed the outcry from industry over U.S. EPA’s proposed boiler MACT rules.  The rules would establish standards for emissions of hazardous pollutants for commercial and industrial boilers.

As discussed in the post, many have criticized EPA’s methodology for establishing standards.  Even some State regulators (including Ohio EPA) provided comments criticizing