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# OAR Box 1781 Prepped by Ollie Stewart



### Document

Number: 

# 118 ) IV-C-32 Docket Number: 

# A-90-3 7

Printed 10/29/2008 10:46:23 AM Sheet 118 of 142P. 2 

# € j >. - UNITE D STATE S ENVIRONMENTA L PROTECTIO N AGENCY OCT 2 6 I9

S Honorable Blanche L . Lincoln United State s Senat

e Washington , D C 2051 0 Dea r Senator Lincoln : 

### FEB I 5 200 0 EPA AI R DOCKE T Than k you fo r your lette r o f Septembe r 29,1999 , urgin g th e Environmenta l Protectio n Agenc y (EPA ) to continu e th e discussion s wit h th e participatin g stakeholde r group s o n way s t o refor man d streamlin e th e ne

w sourc e revie w (NSR ) program . You expresse d concer n ove r report s o f EP A engaging i n onl

y one mor e round o f stakeholde

r meeting s befor

e makin g decision s o n finalizing th e NS RRefor mrul e and urge d u s t o take advantag e o f th e stakeholders ' proposal s tha

t hav e bee n recentl

y submitted . You suggeste d tha t th e recen t efforts b y th e stakeholder s t o forg e aconsensu s offers th e bes t hop e o f solutio n sinc e th e "unilatera l effort s t o revis e th e progra

mrul e b y th e Agency hav e been repeatedly rejecte d by bot h State s an

d th e regulate d community. " Finally , you expresse d concer n tha t th e existin g progra

mha s evolve d t o a poin t o f havin g unclea

r obligation s an

d thi s complexit

y stifle s innovatio n and threaten s th e globa l competitivenes s o f

th e Nation' s manufacturin g sector fo r littl e environmen

t benefit . Yo u note d i n your

lette r tha t th e Federa

l Advisor y Committe e wa s convene d on thi s topi c i n 1991 . To clarify , th e Committee wa s originally convene d t o addres s th e implementatio n o f th e Clea n Air Ac t Amendment s o f

1990 . The projec t

t o refor mth e NS RRegulation s wa s no t initiate d by th e Office o f

Air Qualit y Plannin g and Standard s unti l 199 2 wit h tw o publi c workshop s i n respons e t o complaint s by industr y tha t th e progra

mwa s complex and burdensome . I n 1993 , w e forme

d a n NS RRefor

mSubcommitte e o f

th e Clea n Air Ac t Advisor y Committe e (CAAAC ) t o allo w th e stakeholde r discussion s t o mov e towar d consensus . Eigh

t publi c meeting s o f

th e NS RRefor

mSubcommittee wer

e convene d i n th e 1993-94 time frame. Durin g thi s period , publi c commen t wa s sough

t o n severa l occasion s o n element s o f

th e packag e an d a draf t of th e entir e refor mpackag e i n th e summe

r o f 1994 . Th e proposa

l packag e wa s base d o n th e consensu s recommendation s o f th e NS RRefor

mSubcommitte e throug h th e CAAA C an d th e man y discussion s and comment s o n thos e element s fo r which consensu s wa s no t

reached . Numerou s meeting s wit

h separat e industr y group s wer

e intersperse d between th e fal l o f 1994 and proposa l i n th e summe

r o f 1996 . A final meetin g o f

th e NS RRefor

mSubcommitte e wa s convened shortly afte

r proposa l a s well a s apubli c hearing , an d a6-mont h publi c commen

t perio d ensued . Afte

r tha t time , furthe

r discussion s were conducte d unde r th e auspice s o f

th e Titl e V , Toxic s an

d NS Rsubcommittee o f

th e CAAAC . In 1997-9 8 EPA , throug h analyzin g and summarizing th e man

y comment s o n NS RReform , refined ke y issue s tha

t needed t o b e

OAR/ O AQPS/IPTID/IIG:DCrumpler:ybthorpe:RTP(MD- l 2):919-54 1 -087 1 Contro l #AL-990212 3 Due:10/15/9 9 Fil e a:\senator.wp dP. 3

( U -*

addressed b y th e Refor

mrulemaking . Th e ensuin g Notic e of Availabilit

y tha t wa s publishe d i n th e Federa l Registe r triggere d anothe

r roun d o f meeting s requeste d b y variou s stakeholder groups . I n lat e 199 8 durin g discussion s ove r litigatio n o f

th e rule s governin g NS Rapplicabilit y fo r utilities , EP

A mad e a n overtur e fo r industr y t o tr y one mor e tim e t o come u p wit

h abetter syste mfo r determinin g wh o or

wha t i s or i s no t covere d b y NSR . Again , th e goa l wa s t o provid e mor e flexibilit y fo r industry , streamlin e th e permittin g proces s wher e possible , bu t

preserv e th e environmenta

l protectio n calle d fo

r b y th e Clea

n Air Act . Industr

y aske d t o b e allowe d t o pursu e th e task . W

e hav e mad

e aspecia l effor t ove r th e pas t yea r t o see k furthe r inpu t fromal l stakeholder s o n ne w approache s tha t wil l hel p achiev e thi s goal . A larg e stakeholde r meetin g wa s convened o n Februar

y 2- 3 o f thi s yea r an d multipl e round s o f

follow-o n meeting s hav e bee n hel d wit h th e stakeholder s throug h th e mont h o f September . Consensu s o n reforming NS Rapplicabilit y ha s been elusiv e up t o th e present , eve n among industr

y groups ; however , th e meeting s hav e been constructive . Relativ e t o your reques t tha t w e continu e thes e discussions , follow-u p meeting s fo

r certain aspect s o f

some issue s ar

e likel y in Octobe

r an d November . Base d o n th e recen t progress , w e believ e w e ca n craf t a package'tha

t provide s a

n acceptabl e resolutio n o n mos t issue s by lat

e fall . W e are als o investigatin g alonge

r ter msolution , i.e. , sector-base d approache s fo r selecte d industria

l groups , suc h a s utilities , tha

t hav e simila

r manufacturin g and emission s characteristics . Thi s wil l likely / b e aseparat

e effor t tha t wil l requir

e furthe r discussio n wit

h stakeholders , bu t

ma y yiel d importan

t dividend s i f

th e lega l and polic y issue s ca

n b e resolved . Again , than

k you fo r your concer n and comments . I f

I ca n b e o f furthe r service , pleas e do no t hesitat e t o contac t

me . Sincerely , Rober t Perciasep e Assistant Administrato r 

# X » .• ,» • P. 4

Controlle d Correspondenc e Fo r OFFIC E O F AI R AN D RADIATIO N

CONTRO L N O : AL-990212 3 STATUS : PENDIN G ORIG . DU E DATE : 10/20/9 9 CORRES . DATE : 09/29/9 9 RECEIVE D DATE : 10/05/9 9 ASSIGNE D DATE : 10/06/9 9 CLOSE D DATE : FROM : ORG : SaALUTATION : CONSTITUENT : LINCOLN BLANCH E LAMBERT.-D/A R

UNITE D STATE S SENAT E DEA RSENATO RLINCOLN TO : T O ORG : SUBJECT :

ASSIGNED : CLEA N AI RACT S NE W SOURC E REVIE W (NSR ) PROGRAM/CONCERNE D THA T ONL Y ON E MEETIN G WIT H EAC H O

F THE STAKEHOLDE RGROUP S WILL B E INSUFFICIEN T T O THOROUGHL Y DISCUS S TH E PROPOSAL S FORWARDE D T O YO U B Y STAPPA/ALAPC O I N MA Y Offic e o f Ai r Qualit

y Plannin g & Standard

s - RT P COPIE S O F INCOMIN G PROVIDE D TO : OCIR/DIANN FRANTZ , OFFIC E OF ENFORCEMEN T &

COMPLIANC E ASSURANC E SIGNATURE : OARCOMMENTS : ASSISTAN T ADMINISTRATO R A L INSTRUCTIONS : MUS T B E RETURNE D T O OCI R(1304 ) 3R

D FLOO RWT , FO RREVIE W AN D DISPATCHING . INCLUD E "HARD " COP Y OF SIGNE D REPL Y FO R CONGRESSIONA L FILE S (AL) . D O NO T DAT E LETTER. OAR INSTRUCTIONS : PREPAR E REPLY FO RTHE ASSISTAN T ADMINISTRATOR' S SIGNATURE . |Lea d Assigne d

OAQP S Dat e Assigne d 10/06/9 9 Code/Statu s ACTIO N Dat e Complete d b y Assigne e

- Date Returne d t o

OAR : •

(Untitled ) 

# 3P. 5 BLANCH E LAMBER T LINCOL N

ARKANSA S 35 9 DIRKSE N BUILDIN G TELEPHONE : (202 ) 224-484 3 e-mail : Blanche_Lincoln@Lincoln.Senate.Go v 

# Bnitc d State s Senat e

WASHINGTON , D C 2051 0 COMMITTEES : AGRICULTURE , NUTRITION , AN D FORESTR Y ENERG Y AN D NATURA L RESOURCE S SPECIA L COMMITTE E O N AGIN G

Septembe r 29,199 9 Mr . Rober t Perciasep e Assistan t Administrato r U.S . Environmenta

l Protectio n Agenc y Office o f Air and Radiatio n 40 1 M Street , S W Washington , D.C . 2046 0 Dea r Assistant Administrato r

Perciasepe : I understan d tha

t you hav e initiate d adialogu e wit h severa l group s t o develo p proposal s t o refor mth e Clea

n Ai r Act' s Ne w Sourc e Revie w (NSR) Program . Th e State s an d th e regulate d communit y too k your outreac h efforts ver

y seriousl y and investe d agrea t dea l o f energ y in developin g th e thre e refor

mproposal s forwarde

d t o you b y STAPPA/ALAPC O i n May . Yo u hav e agreed t o hol d on e roun d o f meeting s wit

h representative s fromth e majo r stakeholder

group s thi s mont h t o discus s thes e proposal s befor e you decid e i n late Septembe r whethe r t o finaliz e th e propose d revision s t o th e 198 0 rule . I a mconcerne d tha

t onl y on e meetin g wit

h eac h o f th e stakeholde

r group s wil l b e insufficien

t to thoroughly discus s th e proposal s forwarded t o yo u an dma y no t b e enoug h time fo r an y ne w idea s generate d fromth e meeting s t o b e developed . I strongly urg e yo u t o take advantag e o f th e stakeholder' s NS Rproposal s tha t hav e bee n place d befor

e yo u an d provid e ampl e time to full y explor e whether a n equitabl e refor

mproposa

l ca n b e crafted . Prematurel y finalizin g th e agency' s propose d NS R rul e revision s whil e thes e discussion s ar e stil l underwa

y wil l prevent

workabl e refor

m of the progra m- a n endpoin t tha t th e Agenc y and th e stakeholder s hav e bee n searchin g fo r sinc e th e Federa l Advisor y Committe e wa s convene d o n thi s topi c in 1991 . Thes e recent

intens e efforts b y th e stakeholder s t o forge consensu s o n NS Rrefor moffers th e bes t hop e o f solution , particularl y sinc e unilatera l efforts t o revis e th e progra mrul e b y th e Agenc y hav e bee n repeatedl y rejecte d b y bot h th e state s an d the regulate d community . Thi s curren t refor m attempt i s a n outstandin g opportunit

y t o avoi d th e contentiou s proceeding s an d litigatio n tha t hav e characterize d many other

recen t EP A actions . EP A staf f withi n bot h you r office s o f Ai r Qualit y Plannin g and Standard s an d Enforcemen

t and Complianc e Assuranc e hav e acknowledge d tha t th e NS Rprogra

mi s i n nee d o f

reform . Ove

r fou r thousan d page s o f

interpretiv e guidance , complex rule s an d conflictin g interpretatio n from differen t office s o f EP A an d th e state s hav e create d aprogra mwit h ver y unclea r obligations . .Th

e complexitie s o f

th e curren t NS Rsyste

mimpos e unnecessar

y burden s o n State s an

d uncertaint

y fo r th e regulate d community . Thi s complexit y stifle s innovatio n and threaten s th e globa l competitivenes s o f

th e nation' s manufacturin g secto r fo r littl e environmenta

l benefit . 

# 4 -P. 6 -,/••-'. •

I a

mhopefu l tha t your proven leadershi

p i n thi s area , combine d wit

h arecognition tha

t thi s progra mneed s t o b e fixed, wil l lea d t o avastl y improve d NS Rprogram .

Sincerely ,

BLL.c b 

# [JitoJ*. K. Ututf** Blanch e L . Lincol n



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