September 18, 2006—The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing improvements to three specific areas of its New Source Review (NSR) permitting program.
These improvements will reportedly simplify the process facility owners and operators must follow in determining whether plans to modify their facility would trigger NSR requirements.
According to EPA, the NSR improvements would accelerate investments in cleaner energy-saving technologies. Existing permit limits on emissions would not be affected, and the proposed changes would encourage investments in refining capacity, improve industries’ efficiency and reduce demand for natural gas, says EPA.
The NSR proposal addresses the components of debottlenecking, aggregation, and project netting. Both aggregation and debottlenecking have been implemented through EPA guidance on a case-by-case basis in the past. EPA says the proposal would provide certainty to both the regulated community and the permitting authorities.
For more information on the proposed improvements or to comment, visit EPA’s Web site.
