EPA Climate,CWA Jurisdiction Policies Lead Agency's Broad 2015 Agenda

摘要

EPA's pending final greenhouse gas (GHG) rules for power plants and a regulation to define the scope of the Clean Water Act (CWA) lead the agency's broad rulemaking agenda for 2015, which also includes a host of other proposed and final air, water, waste, toxics and other policies that could affect a wide range of industrial sectors. Many of the regulations due for release this year are expected to face legal challenges from environmentalists, industry groups, states and others, as well as efforts in the GOP-led Congress to block the rules. Nevertheless, EPA's recently updated Unified Agenda of pending rulemakings lists a slew of policies that the agency either plans to propose or finalize during the year. The air office's most prominent rulemaking effort appears to be issuing the final versions of a proposed existing source performance standard (ESPS) to cut GHGs from existing power plants, and a related new source performance standard (NSPS) GHG rule for new power plants.