NAM expresses concern with frequency of NSR revisions

Source: Manufacturing Digital

Date :6/6/2007 4:32:56 PM

Cutting red tape for new source review will reduce costs while preserving air quality.

In comments submitted recently urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to move forward with reform of aspects of the agency’s New Source Review (NSR) program, the National Association of Manufacturers urged the EPA “to continue efforts that will simplify the regulatory permitting process in a meaningful manner.”

During the current rulemaking, regulators are addressing record-keeping requirements to further streamline the cumbersome NSR program. “Doing so will enable industry and the Administration to provide real benefits to the environment and public health,” says NAM President John Engler. “Reducing red tape will expedite projects that increase energy efficiency, reduce the intensity of air emissions, and continue to improve the nation’s air quality.”

On a side note, Engler expressed concern over the frequency with which federal regulators attempt to revise NSR, and the subsequent legal disputes which not only delay regulations but also create business uncertainty.

“I think we’ve reached a point where NSR reform, as well as other programs under the Clean Air Act, should be handled through the legislative process,” Engler says. “Although we support the EPA’s attempts to modernize an outdated program, this latest proposal had its origins in the 2002 reforms which were subsequently litigated, then remanded back to federal regulators for further clarification.”

A copy of the NAM’s comments are available at www.nam.org/rep.