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OAR Box 1781 

Prepped by Ollie Stewart 

Document Number: 

135) IV-C-49 

Docket Number: 

A-90-37 

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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC 27711 

JUN 1 4 2002 

A-90-37 

IV-C-49 

Ms. Joan Marie Silke 

Chairman, Good Neighbor Committee 

of South Cook County 

Post Office Box 122 

Blue Island, Illinois 60406 

Dear Ms. Silke: 

OFFICE OF 

AIR QUALITY PLANNING 

AND STANDARDS 

Thank you for you letter dated April 4, 2002 to the Vice President, in which you and the 

Members of the Board of the Good Neighbor Committee of South Cook County expressed 

concern over reports about the Administration's plans to make regulatory revisions to weaken the 

Clean Air Act's New Source Review (NSR) program. Your letter has been forwarded to me for a 

reply. 

I want to assure you that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) remains committed 

to the air quality benefits that are provided by the NSR program. However, we believe the 

program can and should be improved. Currently, we are evaluating several possible ways to 

make the program better, including a number of ideas that were developed and proposed by prior 

administrations. 

We agree with your view that we should be working to strengthen public health 

protections under the Clean Air Act. That is why President Bush announced the Clear Skies 

Initiative. This initiative would dramatically and steadily cut emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulfur 

dioxides, and mercury from power plants over the next several years. It would use a cap-andtrade approach to cut emissions faster, more economically, and with more certainty than 

traditional approaches. Ultimately, air quality across the country will improve significantly as a 

result of these emissions cuts. 

With respect to the NSR program, the regulatory improvements that we are currently 

considering are intended to address widespread concerns about the effectiveness of the NSR 

program. The improvements are aimed at creating incentives for companies to reduce emissions 

and at removing barriers to environmentally beneficial projects. They are also intended to 

promote greater certainty for regulated sources, improving overall environmental compliance. 

Recycled/Recyclable •Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Recycled Paper (40% Postconsumer) 
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As the Administration considers your views about not making changes to the NSR 

program, I want you to know that we remain committed to protecting the environment, to setting 

protective air quality standards, and to taking aggressive measures to meet those standards. In 

closing, I assure you that we will work to make certain that the EPA continues to make progress 

toward cleaner air, and that we do so even more effectively and efficiently. 

Again, thank you for your letter. I appreciate the opportunity to be of service and trust 

that the information provided is helpful. 

Sincerely yours, 

*Tho^C.Cun?n ^ 

Actm^ Director 

Office of Air Quality Planning 

and Standards 
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^ loan Marie ^kto/etnirman 

2406 Union (offioo) 

P.O.Box 122 

Bliic Island U..60406 

Cook County 

Pfame-}0S-291t-ieS4 

Fax "708-293-1885 

tfemeftione 773-517-1285 «dl 

Email GNCanftf.ual.oani 

April 04, 2002 

The Honorable Richard Cheney 

Vice President of the United Stares 

Eisenhower Executive Office Building 

Washington, D.C. 20501 

Dear Vice President Cheney: 

We are writing to join many others, in urging you to preserve the New Source Review Program under the 

Federal Qean Air Act. .And not to adopt any changes that would weaken the program as part of the national energy 

policy that the Task Force is developing, ln fact we are deeply concerned and don't want to see the program not be 

weakened in way.. 

The Clean Air Act has always depended on tbe state-federal partnership, a important aspect of this partnership 

is that the federal government adopts and enforces nrinirriun. standards of control for new modified stalionaiy sources 

of air pollution. This nation-wide minimum level of required technological controls on new and modified sources 

provide a floor upon which the individual state implementation plans (sip's) are built. Congress wisely provided this 

floor in order io avoid a "Race to the Bottom" when each state might and in hard economic times would face with 

great pressure to artract or to retain industry in their states by lowering air pollution standards. 

In recent research, discoveries as to the possible contribution of air pollution to the causation of birth defects 

and heart disease and many other health problems. This makes h clear than ever that evay mayor program and set of 

regulations that have been carefully crafted and adopted under the clean Air act is indispensable to the protection of 

pubic heahh by cleaning the air. This is especially true for the New Source Review Program. 

We are also aware of the ongoing litigation involving power plant in other parts of the country, and that 

debate on the east cost is focused on that litigation. However, we hope you will not lose sight of the impact that any 

rollback of the New Source Review program may have on Power Plants and REFINERIES in die different regions in 

the U.S. 

My collages and 1 find it to be of vital importance to ah regions in the U.S. that the Clean Air Act keep iis 

strength and it's role as the foundation upon which the air pollution controls are based on. We must protect the Air, 

Land, Water and most of all public Health across our greai Nation. 

Thank You for your attention in this matter. 

Sincerely . 

The Good Neighbor Committee ofSouth Cook County A • 

[^f Joan Marie Silke 

Chairman/President 

and Members of the Board