DERG Round Two Schedule: Tentatively, Ohio will begin soliciting grant applications on December 15th for the second round of funding under the Diesel Emission Reduction Grant (DERG) program administered by the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD). DERG will have approximately $11.2 million in available funding in the second round. The grants pay for retrofits of emission controls
CAIR Update: Court Asks Utilities Whether To Throw Out the Program
As reported by Platts, on October 21st the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals asked whether the parties involved in the lawsuits that led to vacatur of the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) want the entire rule to be thrown out or to be kept in place until U.S. EPA revises the rule.
The US
Impact on Air Quality Without CAIR
I mentioned in my post discussing LADCO air quality meeting that I would put up the most relevant slides or graphics from all the presentation over the two days in Chicago. I think I can pretty much boil it down to two slides.
This slide was put together by U.S. EPA when meeting to discuss their
U.S. EPA’s Tighter Lead Standard Should Be No Big Deal for Cleveland
As reported by the Associated Press last week, U.S. EPA has adopted a new airborne lead standard. U.S. EPA selected a standard at the lower range of those being considered. The new standard is ten times more stringent than the old standard. As was reported:
The new limit – 0.15 micrograms per cubic
CAIR: EPA’s Path Forward Slow and Unclear
I participated today in a Midwest Air Quality Workshop in Chicago. At the workshop, Bill Harnett from U.S. EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Strategy (OAQPS) gave an interesting presentation regarding U.S. EPA’s reaction to the vacatur of CAIR by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Here are a couple of the key issues
CAIR: EPA’s Petition for Rehearing Concedes “Major Flaws”
On September 24, 2008 U.S EPA filed its petition to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals for rehearing En Banc on the vacatur of the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). While focus may be on EPA’s request for rehearing, a significant concession was made in EPA’s brief that has major implications regardless of whether rehearing is granted.
Lawsuit Challenges State’s Right to Modify its Air Pollution Control Plan
A lawsuit filed this week raises an important question about the relationship between the federal government and states pertaining to environmental regulations. At issue is how much flexibility state’s have to modify their air pollution control plans used to comply with federal air quality standards. As reported in the Columbus Dispatch, the Sierra Club has challenged
CAIR: A Game of Chicken Over a Quick Fix
As reported on CNN, the Senate is debating how or whether to legislatively restore the CAIR program that was struck down in Court. EPA still has a week or so to decide whether to appeal, but all bets are that Congress needs to act in order to save the program.
The game of chicken centers around
CAIR UPDATE: U.S. EPA granted more time to seek rehearing
As reported in Platts, the Court of Appeals has granted US EPA until September 24th to determine whether to pursue rehearing of the ruling that struck down the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR).
The US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia announced
….it was giving EPA more time to file any
U.S. EPA’s Fine Particle Designations Impact County Economic Development Efforts
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Yesterday, U.S. EPA announced its proposed non-attainment designations for counties not meeting the new P.M. 2.5 (fine particle) pollution standard. Ohio was second only to California in total counties designated non-attainment with 28 total counties.
A county’s designation as non-attainment makes economic development efforts more difficult and increases competitive pressure on existing businesses. The