Clean Air Planning Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-2724
Sponsor: Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2006-05-04 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Air pollution control
Alternative energy sources
Biomass energy
Carbon cycle
Carbon dioxide
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Coal
Cogeneration of electric power and heat
Electric power production
Emissions trading
Energy
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental law enforcement
Environmental monitoring
Fines (Penalties)
Fuel cells
Geothermal resources
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Hydroelectric power
Law
Licenses
Mercury
Nitrogen oxides
Nuclear power plants
Solar energy
Sulphur dioxide
Wind power

Summary:
action_date: 2006-05-04
text: 
Clean Air Planning Act of 2006 - Amends the Clean Air Act to establish national pollutant tonnage limitations for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, and carbon dioxide. Provides for review and revision of annual tonnage limitations. 
 
Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) establish a nitrogen oxide allowance trading program; (2) promulgate regulations to ensure the equitable issuance of such allowances to facilities that use more than one energy source to produce electricity and facilities that produce electricity in addition to another service or product; (3) establish a reserve of such allowances to be set aside for use by new units that is not less than 5% of the total allowances allocated to affected units for the calendar year; (4) allocate a certain proportion of such allowances to affected units (certain fossil fuel-fired electric generating facilities) in a certain period; (5) establish a nitrogen oxide allowance transfer system; and (6) provide for the use and transfer of such allowances. 
Subjects specified units to annual emission limitations for inlet mercury. 
 
Directs the Administrator to: (1) establish a carbon dioxide allowance trading program; (2) promulgate regulations relating to offsets produced by agricultural sequestration practices; (3) establish a reserve of carbon dioxide allowances to be allocated to new affected units and to a clean coal technology reserve; and (4) allocate a specified amount of carbon dioxide allowances to certain units; and (5) promulgate regulations that provide for the issuance, certification, and use of offset allowances (and early reduction allowances) for greenhouse gas reduction or sequestration projects. Authorizes the use and transfer of allowances in other carbon dioxide allowance trading programs that are approved by the Administrator for the use of the allowances. 
 
Revises the new source review program to set forth performance standards for sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides for each affected unit that has been in operation 50 or more years as of January 1, 2020. 
Revises the sulfur dioxide allowance program to establish an allowance reserve for new units. 
Requires the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to issue air quality forecasts and air quality warnings as part of the mission of the Department of Commerce. 
 
Requires the EPA Administrator to promulgate regulations limiting emissions from electric utility steam generating units of hazardous air pollutants, other than mercury.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-05-04
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2006-05-04
text: Introduced in Senate