Copies of the documents, disclosed Monday by The Wall Street Journal, were made available by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, an environmental advocacy group with close ties to federal workers. He said the white paper was leaked by EPA employees worried that the changes would weaken enforcement of air pollution rules. Industry has complained for years that EPA's air pollution requirements, which direct how states and local authorities issue pollution permits to industry, are too rigid under the 1990 Clean Air Act. The permits limit the amount of pollution a plant may be allowed. Executives of companies in rapidly changing or fast growing industries have complained that too often companies must obtain new pollution permits if they expand a plant or make major internal production changes, even when overall emissions may not change significantly.
New permits can take months to obtain.