On January 13, 2009, Judge Lacy Thornburg of the District Court for the Western District of North Carolina issued a major decision in case of North Carolina v. TVA. When filed, this case was seen as another chapter in the on-going battle between downwind and upwind states over cross-border pollution.
However, the decision and implications
In yesterday’s post, I discussed the possibility of E-check expanding in Ohio as a result of U.S. EPA’s proposed revisions to implementation of the 1997 8-hour ozone standard (.08 ppm). Today I want to discuss the larger
[NOTE: THIS POST WAS REVISED BASED UPON ADDITIONAL REVIEW AND INFORMATION] The unpopular automobile tail pipe test known as E-check may resurface in Cincinnati under a U.S. EPA proposed rule. Right now, Cleveland is the only area in Ohio with E-check because the area is under a federal mandate to operate the test. That federal mandate could expand under a recent U.S.
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
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
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.
In my prior posts on CAIR, I analyzed the real world impacts of the Court’s decision to vacate the program. In my final post on CAIR, I highlight some of the legal implications from the Court’s decision on business and policy makers. This is not meant to be a legal brief for lawyers, but rather
In my previous post on the CAIR decision, I discussed the environmental and practical ramifications of the Court’s decision vacating the program. While speaking at a large permitting seminar for manufacturer’s, I had a chance to discuss the conclusions of my prior post with some State officials. While I was correct that the CAIR decision complicates
The recent decision issued by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeal vacating the CAIR rule has far reaching implications. It probably justifies at least one more post. Understandably, reaction has been related to the fact that this major clean air initiative was dismantled with a stroke of a pen. A fact highlighted by EPA’s announcement in 2005 when the CAIR rule was implemented.
“CAIR will result in the largest pollution reductions and health benefits of any air rule in more than a decade. The action we are taking will require all 28 states to be good neighbors, helping states downwind by controlling airborne emissions at their source.”
–Steve Johnson, Acting EPA Adminstrator
3/10/2005
The Court included editorial comments trying to suggest the impact would be minimal. For instance, the Court points to two power plant pollution control programs (the NOx SIP call and Acid Rain Program) that will still be effective in reducing emissions even after CAIR is gone. The Court also suggests that State’s could simply sue one another if more reductions are needed (using its Clean Air Act Section 126 authority). Litigation is hardly an effective pollution control strategy.
Bottom line, there is simply no way to minimize the impact of its decision or the ramifications for States and US EPA.
The map to the left is a good representation of the breadth of the CAIR program. Each dot represents advanced pollution controls on a power plant. (Click on the map to enlarge the view) This map shows US EPA’s projections as to controls on power plants by 2010 after CAIR and CAMR (power plant mercury control program), both of which have been vacated by the Court. While some of the dots may remain due to the NOx SIP Call and Acid Rain Program, many will disappear or be on hold.
How many dots disappear? US EPA projected that CAIR would result in 116 more units having advanced air pollution controls in 2010. By 2020, the number was 287 more units.
While the decision certainly impacts efforts at cleaner air, it also makes a mess of state air pollution control plans (called State Implementation Plans- SIPs) that have been submitted for approval by US EPA. Most of the SIPs submitted rely on CAIR as a primary control method to achieve federal air quality standards for ozone and soot. The ruling brings tremendous uncertainty as to how these state plans will be reviewed.
To support CAIR, US EPA provided modeling to show air quality improvement that would result from reductions brought about by the program. State’s relied upon this modeling as part of their air pollution control plans to achieve federal air quality standards.
What was the magnitude of air quality improvement that US EPA projected? The Agency showed that in 2005, 104 areas didn’t meet ozone standards and 43 areas didn’t meet pm 2.5 (soot) standards. By 2010, EPA projected the number of areas not meeting ozone and soot standards would be reduced to 14 and 20 respectively due in part to CAIR.
Now that the State’s cannot rely on CAIR as a cornerstone of their air pollution control strategies, those reduction must come from somewhere. Without these massive reductions State’s face missing deadlines to meet federal air quality standards. Missing the federal deadline can bring sanctions and more rigorous air pollution control requirements on businesses within the state.
US EPA has even adopted a tougher ozone standard which is currently being implemented. The State’s face enormous challenges in meeting this new standard if there is no federal air pollution control program applicable to power plants. From reading the decision, it may be very difficult to craft a legal program using administrative authority. Congress may have to amend the Clean Air Act to give US EPA the authority, but since 1990 Congress has shown its reluctance to re-open the Clean Air Act. Continue Reading CAIR Decision Will Have Many Aftershocks
As part of the 2008-2009 State budget, Ohio set aside $19.8 million to be used for diesel grants to achieve reductions in air pollution from the transportation sector. The set aside represents the largest dedicated pool of funds to diesel emission reductions in the Midwest. The grants could be used to pay for pollution control retrofits and anti-idling technology