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# OAR Box 1781 Prepped by Ollie Stewart



### Document

Number: 

# 139 ) IV-C-5

3 Docket Number: 

# A-90-3 7

Printed 10/29/2008 10:46:24

AM Sheet 139 of 142P. 2 

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l O % p R 0 ^ / UNITE D STATE S ENVIRONMENTA L PROTECTIO N AGENC X WASHINGTON , D.C
. 2046 0 

### 'AP R 2 2 200 2 A-90-3 7 IV-C-5 3

OFFIC E O F AI R AN D RADIATIO N

IOC T

### I 6 2002 EPA/.l-TT'CKE T Mr . Arthu r

J . Rocque , Jr . Commissione r Connecticu t

Departmen t

o f Environmenta l Protectio n 7 9 El mStree t Hartford , C T 0610 6 Dear Mr . Rocque : Than k yo u fo r you r lette r o f Marc h 12 , 2002 , t o Administrato r Whitma n i n whic h yo u an d five othe r Commissioner s fromth e Northeas t State s for

Coordinate dAi r

Us e Managemen t expres s concer n ove r

report s abou t

th e Administration' s plan s t o chang e th e Clea n Ai r Act' s Ne w Sourc e Revie w (NSR ) progra mwithou t concurrenc e o f

Stat e programs . You r

lette r wa s forwarde dt o m e for

areply . I wan t

t o assur e yo u tha t

I a mcommitte dt o th e ai r

qualit y benefit s provide db y th e NS Rprogram . I agre e tha t th e progra mca

n an dshoul db e improved . Man y o f ou r stakeholder s shar e thi s vie w includin g Governor s an dStat e Environmenta l Commissioner s frombot h majo r

partie s i n man y part s o f

th e country . W e are currentl y evaluatin g severa l possibl e way s t o mak e th e progra mbette r includin g anumbe r

o f idea s that

wer e develope dan d propose db y prio r

administrations . I agre e wit h you r

poin t that th e NS Rprogra mha s helpe dt o achiev e significan t ai r qualit y improvement s an dpubli c health gains . Wit h tha t a s apreface , th e regulator y improvement s tha t w e ar e currentl y considerin g ar e intende dt o addres s widesprea dconcem s abou t th e effectivenes s o f th e NS Rprogram . Th e improvement s ar e aime da t creatin g incentive s fo r

companie s t o reduc e emission s an dat

removin g barrier s t o environmentall y beneficia l projects . The y ar e als o intende dt o promot e greate r certaint y for

regulate dsources , thu s improvin g overal l environmenta l compliance . I appreciat e you r suppor t o f concept s suc h a s plan t

wid e applicabilit y limit s an dth e clea n uni t tes t whic h w e ar e carefull y examining . W e hav e no t finalize dou r

work , an dw e wil l plac e you r

lette r i n th e rulemakin g docke t a s w e conside r

you r view s an dth e view s o f

other s a s t o ho w w e shoul dmov e forward . I als o wan t

t o assur e yo u that

ou r effort s t o improv e th e NS Rregulation s hav e involve d a n extraordinary leve l o f

publi c participation . Th e Environmenta l Protectio n Agenc y (EPA ) ha s bee n coordinatin g astakeholder-base deffor t t o improv e th e NS Rprogra msinc e 1992 . Th e effor t ha s include dth e formatio n of aFedera l advisor y committee ; th e publicatio n o f aproposa l an da

Interne t Addres s (URL ) • http://www.epa.go v Recycled/Recyclabl e • Printe d wit h Vegetabl e Oi l Base d Ink s o n Recycle d Pape r(Minimu m 25 % Postconsumer )P. 3

notic e o f availabilit y i n th e Federa l Register , eac h followe db y apubli c commen t period ; severa l publi c hearings ; an ddozen s o f stakeholde r

meetings . Hundred s o f

peopl e fro menvironmenta l groups , industry , an dState , local , an dFedera l agencie s participate di n thes e man y discussion s andsubmitte dcomment s i n writing . An y regulator y change s w e mak e wil l onl y b e mad e after full y considerin g comment s fromth e public . Indeed , I believ e thes e an dothe r step s assur e afull , fair , an dope n process , an dw e wil l continu e t o maintai n suc h aproces s a s w e mov e forward . Again , than k

yo u for you r letter . I appreciat e th e opportunit y t o b e o f servic e an dtrus t

th e informatio n provide di s helpful . Sincerely ,
^Jeffre y R . Hblmstea d Assistan t Administrato rP. 4

[3:3 2 FA

X 202401950 5 OA R IM M OF F - » SHERR Y RUSSEL L i<aoo

4 

## ESCAU M Northeas t State s fo r Coordinate d Ai r Us e Managemen t 

## RECEIVE D m i fi»« EXEC . SECRETARIA T

Marc h 12,200 2 Connectku t Burea u o f tt Management , Cjrmln c DiBattbt o Main e Burea u o f Ai r Qualit y Control . Jam a Brook x Kassachuse m Dh-isiw i o f Ai t dualit y Control . Nanc y Se.dn.a n Ne wHampshir e Ai r Resources DMsion . Kennet h Co&ur n Nov. Jersey Offic e o f Ai r Qualify Management , Joh n Oslo n Ne wYor k Divisio n o f M r Resources . Rober t Wartan d Rhod e Islan d Offic e o f Ai r Resources . Stephe n H*uku t Vermon t Ai r Pollutio n Contro l Division , Richar d Valefltlnen i Th e Honorabl e Christin e Tod d Whitman U.S . Environmental Protectio n Agenc y Arie l Rio s Building , 101 A 120 0 Pennsylvani a Avenue , N W Washington , D C 2046 0 Dea r Administrato r Whitman : W e ar e writin g t o expres s ou r dee p concern regardin g change s unde r consideratio n b y th e Administratio n t o th e Clea n Ai r Act' s Ne w Sourc e Revie w (NSR ) Program . NS Rha s bee n and continue s t o b e a cornerston e o f th e Oea n .Ai

r Act . W e i n th e Northeas tstrongl y believ e tha tth e historica l implementatio n o f th e NS Rpenuittin g progra m acros s th e countr

y ove r th e las tthre e decade s b y state an d loca l permittin g agencies , i n partnership with th e federa l Environmenta

l Protectio n Agency , ha s achieve d significan tai r qualit y improvements and publi c healt h gains . I ti s ou runderstandin g thai EP A i s considerin g change s thatwoul d fundamentall y chang e th e NS Rprogra

m withou tconcurrenc e o f stat e programs . Sinc e i ti s th e states , no tEPA , whic h implemen tth e NS Rprogram , EP A ha s a responsibility t o carefull y revie w eac h anticipate d chang e wit

h th e state s prio r t o proposal and prio r t o adoption . I ti s als o ou r understanding tha t th e curren

tdraft s o f NS Rrevision s woul d weake n th e progra m suc h tha

tman y larg e industrie s wil l onl y rarely hav e t o mee tcurrentenvironmenta l standards . W e mus tno tlos e sigh to f th e fac ttha

tth e real-worl d implementatio n o f th e NSR , though no t withou tproblem s an d challenges , ha s me tan d continue s t o mee tsuccessfull y a number o f significan tpolic y goal s including : • improvin g air qualit

y i n non-attainmentareas • maintainin g healthful air i n attainmen tareas • promotin g developmen to f innovativ e technologie s an d strategie s t o contro l ai r pollutio n Fo r example , th e evidenc e i s quit e clea r tha tfo r ne w sources , stat

e agencie s hav e worke d effectivel y wit h applicants t o assure tha tpermits ar

e issue d expeditiously . Thi s i s underscore d b y th e fac ttha

tNortheaster

n State s hav e permitte d ove r 13,00 0 megawatts o f ne w electrical generatio n capacity sinc e 1996 . NS Rrefor m shoul d therefore focu s o n streamlinin g th e proces s fo r existiDg-sourc e modification s i n way s thai resul ti n more ai rqualit y improvemen tand bette r protectio n o f

publi c healt

h than th e existin g program . Th e NESCAU M state s supportman y o f th e concept s propose d fo r NS Rreform , however , w e hav e seriou s concem s aboutth e specifi c implementatio n o f thes e concepts . Fo r instance , th e NESCAU M state s suppor tth e actua

l emissions-base d Plantwid e Applicability Limi t(PAL ) Jaso n S . Grumet , Executiv e Oiiccto r 12 9 Portlan d Stree t Boston , Massachusett s 0711. 4 Phon e (617 ) 367-8W 0 Fa x (617 ) 742-916 2 www.nescdum.or g 

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