Regulacje i polityka gospodarcza · 24.10.1997

Acid Rain Program: Revisions to Permits, Allowance System, Sulfur Dioxide Opt-Ins, Continuous Emission Monitoring, Excess Emissions, and Appeal Procedures

Title IV of the Clean Air Act (the Act) authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) to establish the Acid Rain Program. The purpose of the Acid Rain Program is to significantly reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from utility electric generating plants in order to reduce the adverse health and ecological impacts of acidic deposition (or acid rain) resulting from such emissions. On January 11 and March 23, 1993, the Agency promulgated final rules governing permitting, the allowance system, continuous emissions monitoring, excess emissions, and appeal procedures. On December 27, 1996, the Agency published proposed revisions to those rules, most of which revisions are addressed in today's final rule. After considering its experience in applying the Acid Rain Program rules since 1993, the Agency believes that the permitting, excess emissions, and appeal procedures rules (as well as minor aspects of the monitoring rule) can be streamlined and improved in order to reduce the burden on utilities, State and local permitting authorities, and EPA. Today's final rule revisions streamline the Acid Rain Program while still ensuring achievement of its statut