GLIN==> State/local air officials on recent EPA rule

["Alex J. Sagady & Associates" <ajs@sagady.com>]

For Immediate Release Contact: Bill Becker (202) 624-7864
August 27, 2003

New EPA Air Rule Strikes a Blow to Environmental Protection,
Say State/Local Air Quality Officials

A new rule issued today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 
which will allow approximately 17,000 existing sources of air pollution to 
increase emissions and avoid installing modern air pollution controls, is 
drawing strong criticism from the two national associations of state and 
local air quality officials.

The State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators (STAPPA) and 
the Association of Local Air Pollution Control Officials (ALAPCO) say the 
rule will seriously erode public health and environmental protection and have
detrimental impacts on air quality.

EPA's new rule adopts an exemption to allow "equipment replacement" 
activities to forego the pollution control requirements of the 
long-standing New Source Review (NSR) program, a fundamental component of 
our nation's clean air program.

"This rule eviscerates the NSR program and represents a huge step backward 
in our efforts to achieve and sustain clean air," said S. William Becker, 
Executive Director of STAPPA and ALAPCO.

"Not only will it degrade existing protections of public health and the 
environment, it will be very difficult to implement and
enforce," explained Becker.

"We are so deeply troubled by this rule and the adverse impacts it will 
have on our ability to protect public health and the environment, that 
after EPA proposed this rulemaking, members of our associations attended 
every one of the five public hearings to articulate our concerns and urge 
the agency to rescind the proposal," said Lloyd Eagan, President of STAPPA.

"Obviously, EPA has decided to move ahead with its plan, notwithstanding 
the clear concerns of the state and local officials who are responsible for 
providing clean air to our citizens," she continued.

"STAPPA and ALAPCO began raising a red flag with the approach the 
Administration was pursuing regarding routine activities a year before the 
agency even proposed the rule in December  2002," noted John Paul, Co-Chair 
of the STAPPA/ALAPCO NSR Subcommittee.

"That EPA has now officially opted against putting public health and the 
environment first and has finalized this new and almost unbounded 
categorical exclusion from NSR is very disheartening," Paul added.


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Alex J. Sagady & Associates        http://www.sagady.com

Environmental Enforcement, Permit/Technical Review, Public Policy,
Evidence Review and Litigation Investigation on Air, Water and
Waste/Community Environmental and Resource Protection
Prospectus at:  http://www.sagady.com/sagady.pdf

PO Box 39,  East Lansing, MI  48826-0039
(517) 332-6971; (517) 332-8987 (fax); ajs@sagady.com
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