EPA Denies Final 'Project Accounting' Rule Will Result In NSR Avoidance

摘要

EPA in its final rule on new source review (NSR) air permit "project emissions accounting" is defending the policy against environmentalists' allegations that it will enable companies to circumvent NSR and avoid adding emissions controls, but is also allowing states to keep a potentially more-onerous NSR permitting process if they prefer. The rule signed by Administrator Andrew Wheeler Oct. 22 codifies a March 2018 guidance and subsequent August 2019 proposed rule that changed the method EPA prefers that air regulators use when deciding whether an industrial proj ect should trigger full-blown NSR analysis. Under the permit program, "major" modifications to existing facilities or new sources of pollution must obtain stringent "major source" NSR permits if their net emissions increase above a threshold of "significance," defined by EPA for individual pollutants.