EPA Suggests States Withdraw Redundant Air Plans To Help Clear Backlog

摘要

Janet McCabe, EPA's acting air chief, is suggesting that states should voluntarily withdraw outdated Clean Air Act state implementation plans (SIPs) still pending at the agency in order to help clear a backlog of hundreds of the air law compliance plans that has prompted calls for reform of the SIP process. Speaking at the recent spring meeting of the Environmental Council of the States (ECDS) in Washington, D.C., McCabe floated the idea that states can voluntarily withdraw SIP submissions that are redundant because of changed circumstances since they were submitted - which could potentially include the scrapping of a previous national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for which states had submitted compliance plans.