WASHINGTON — Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, joined Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., in introducing legislation that would clarify how the Environmental Protection Agency enforces pollution-control permitting requirements for industrial facilities under the Clean Air Act, according to a news release from Husted’s office.
The bill, called the New Source Review Permitting Act, would set clearer thresholds for when a change at an existing industrial facility triggers New Source Review, the federal permitting process meant to ensure new plants and expanded facilities install modern pollution controls, the release said. Husted’s office said the current program is complex enough that it discourages manufacturers and energy producers from making equipment upgrades, reliability fixes and pollution-control improvements.
“American workers and businesses should not be held back by unnecessary red tape that prevents them from making investments that improve efficiency and protect our environment. This bill will bring clarity to the permitting process, unleash innovation and help ensure American industry remains the global leader,” Husted said in the release.
Lummis said Wyoming energy producers “shouldn’t be punished for simply replacing or upgrading equipment, especially when those upgrades do not increase pollution,” calling the bill a “commonsense” fix that lets facilities modernize without added permitting costs.
According to the release, EPA guidance documents and court rulings in recent years have increased uncertainty around what triggers New Source Review, adding time and cost that Husted’s office said discourages incremental pollution-control projects.
A companion version of the bill passed the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce on April 28 after being introduced by Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va. The Senate legislation builds on Husted’s work on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where he has pushed permitting changes tied to energy and manufacturing projects.
The bill drew support from more than a dozen industry groups and labor unions, including the American Petroleum Institute, the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, according to the release.
The bill adds to a busy stretch of legislative activity for Husted, who met with oil and gas industry executives in Zanesville this spring to discuss federal energy and environmental policy, and who joined Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., last week in introducing legislation letting first-time homebuyers tap 529 college savings accounts.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the office of U.S. Sen. Jon Husted.
