EPA Backlog of Air Plans Remains Despite Progress, Watchdog Says

摘要

The EPA is struggling to clear a backlog of state air pollution mitigation plans, increasing the risk that some local agencies aren’t doing enough to meet healthy air requirements, theagency’s watchdog said Monday.The Environmental Protection Agency has yet to take action on 39% of active State Implementation Plan submissions, according to an Office of Inspector General report. Such plans,known as SIPs, are a state’s blueprint for mitigating air pollution and reaching attainment for six criteria air pollutants under National Ambient Air Quality Standards.A SIP is considered backlogged if the EPA takes longer than a year to address the completed submission. Those delays can exacerbate unhealthy air in areas not meeting national airstandards and raise uncertainty for regulated sectors looking to comply with state and local air rules that stem from approved SIPs, the report said.