The Sun Herald on May 19 (page 2C) published two interesting opinion pieces on carbon tax, but both articles got it wrong.
http://www.sunherald.com/opinion/other-voices/article152201382.html Press Releases
EPA Budget Returns Focus to Core Statutory Mission
05/23/2017
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press@epa.gov)
WASHINGTON –The proposed Fiscal Year 2018 budget for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, announced today, provides $5.655 billion to help the agency protect human health and the environment. With a 31 percent cut from the FY 2017 Annualized Continuing Resolution, and a 30 percent reduction from the FY 2017 Enacted budget, the President’s budget aims to reduce redundancies and inefficiencies and prioritize EPA’s core statutory mission of providing Americans with clean air, land, and water.
“The President’s budget respects the American taxpayer,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “This budget supports EPA’s highest priorities with federal funding for priority work in infrastructure, air and water quality, and ensuring the safety of chemicals in the marketplace.”
DETAILS OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2018 BUDGET PROPOSAL INCLUDE:
Supporting the President’s Focus on the Nation’s Infrastructure The infrastructure of the nation is not limited to roads and bridges. The infrastructure needs of our communities are broader. They include making improvements to drinking water and waste water infrastructure as well as a focus on cleaning up contaminated land. Efforts in the Superfund and Brownfields programs can lead to tangible benefits for communities: a cleaner environment and the redevelopment of sites back to beneficial or to new economic use, which is important to the economic well-being of communities and provides a new foundation for American greatness.
-- EPA’s support for water infrastructure will be provided under the State Revolving Funds (SRFs) and Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. The FY 2018 budget includes $2.3 billion for the SRFs and $20 million for the WIFIA program. The WIFIA requires a small appropriation compared to its potential loan volume, demonstrating respect for the American taxpayer. Under WIFIA, EPA could potentially provide approximately $1 billion in credit assistance, which would spur an estimated $2 billion in total infrastructure investment.
-- In FY 2018, the Superfund Remedial program provides $342 million to support states, local communities and tribes in their efforts to assess and cleanup many of the worst contaminated sites in the United States and return them to productive use. EPA will maximize appropriated dollars by reducing administrative costs, identifying efficiencies, and prioritizing the cleanup of sites where funds are available from existing settlements with responsible parties.
-- In FY 2018, EPA is investing over $118 million in support for Brownfields to help communities oversee, assess, safely cleanup and redevelop brownfield properties. The cleanup and reuse of contaminated lands often can play a role in economically revitalizing a community.
Improving America’s Air Quality EPA’s FY 2018 budget of $448 million provides funding to better manage and support air quality with stakeholders through common sense standards, guidelines, and grant assistance. The budget focuses on air quality efforts and on making progress toward increased attainment. Most notably, $100 million is allotted to perform key activities in support of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). It discontinues funding of the Clean Power Plan, climate change research, and partnership programs. $139 million in program eliminations and $95 million in major programmatic changes will reorient the agency efforts in addressing air quality.
Ensuring Clean and Safe Water EPA is requesting $83.7 million in drinking water programs to continue to partner with states, drinking water utilities, and other stakeholders to identify and address current and potential sources of drinking water contamination. These efforts are integral to the sustainable infrastructure efforts because source water protection can reduce the need for additional drinking water treatment and associated costs.
The FY 2018 budget includes $193 million to support work in surface water protection and wetlands programs. EPA will continue to provide scientific water quality criteria information, review and approve state water quality standards, and review and approve state lists of impaired waters. In FY 2018, the agency will continue to work with states and other partners on Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) as required by the Clean Water Act, as well as on other waterbody restoration plans for listed impaired waterbodies. EPA also will continue to implement and support core water quality programs that control point-source discharges through permitting and pre-treatment programs. Over $651 million in program eliminations, including Geographic Programs and non-point source grants, and $115 million in major programmatic changes will focus the agency’s water programs on addressing core statutory requirements and national priorities. Responsibility for funding local environmental efforts is returned to State and local entities.
Keeping America’s Environment Safe from Toxic Chemicals EPA’s chemical safety programs are integral to maintaining environmental and human health. In FY 2018, EPA requests a total of $296 million to strengthen the capability of EPA, other regulators, and the public to assess chemical hazards and potential exposures, identify potential risks to human health and the environment and take appropriate risk management action.
In FY 2018, increased resources will support the agency’s significant continuing and new responsibilities for ensuring that new and existing chemicals are evaluated in a timely manner. EPA will work aggressively to complete additional chemical risk assessments from the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan list of existing chemicals and meet its requirement to review all current pesticide registrations by 2022. The agency also is implementing fee-based funding as is envisioned in the statute. The agency will continue efforts to reduce risk and ensure that safety and compliance, including on-going pesticides licensing efforts. Program eliminations totaling nearly $53 million combined with nearly $60 million in other major program changes, including research programs, will focus federal resources on highest national priorities and core statutory requirements.
Supporting State and Tribal Partners Effective environmental protection is a joint effort of EPA, states and our tribal partners. EPA must work collectively with states and tribes as the primary implementers of EPA’s statutory obligations. Realizing the value of these partnerships, for FY 2018, EPA is requesting $597 million in funding for State and Tribal Assistance Categorical Grants. These levels are in line with the broader strategy of streamlining environmental protection and focusing federal investment in core statutory programs. The agency will work with states and tribes to target core grant resources and provide flexibility to address their specific priorities.
Reducing and Eliminating Programs As careful stewards of the taxpayer’s resources, we will look to attack fraud, waste, and abuse. Also, EPA will continue to examine its programs to identify those that create unnecessary redundancies or those that have served their purpose and accomplished their mission. The FY 2018 President’s Budget identifies and eliminates a number of programs totaling over $1 billion. Details can be found in EPA FY 2018 Congressional Justification:
https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy2018.
EPA’s FY 2018 budget request includes the elimination of $427 million in Geographic Program funding. Recognizing the progress that has been made to date, these eliminations return responsibility for funding local environmental efforts to state and local entities. EPA will encourage states, tribes, and communities to continue to make progress from within core EPA program funding. In addition, nearly $30 million in locally focused funds for infrastructure projects on Alaska Native Villages and on the US Mexico Border are not requested in this budget; however, these types of projects may be eligible for funding under the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.
For more information on EPA’s FY 2018 proposed budget, please visit
https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/fy2018 United States Files Complaint Against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for Alleged Clean Air Act Violation
05/23/2017
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press@epa.gov)
WASHINGTON - The Department of Justice, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), today filed a civil complaint in federal court in Detroit, Michigan, against FCA US LLC, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V., V.M. Motori S.p.A., and V.M. North America, Inc. (collectively referred to as FCA). The complaint alleges that nearly 104,000 light duty diesel vehicles containing 3.0 liter EcoDiesel engines are equipped with software functions that were not disclosed to regulators during the certification application process, and that the vehicles contain defeat devices. The complaint alleges that the undisclosed software functions cause the vehicles’ emission control systems to perform differently, and less effectively, during certain normal driving conditions than on federal emission tests, resulting in increased emissions of harmful air pollutants.
The Clean Air Act requires vehicle manufacturers to obtain a certificate of conformity before introducing a vehicle into commerce, by demonstrating to EPA that the vehicle will meet applicable federal emission standards to control air pollution. Manufacturers must disclose in their certification applications all auxiliary emission control devices (e.g. computer software that affects the performance of emission controls based upon operating parameters of the vehicle), justify the presence of any such devices, and explain why those that reduce the effectiveness of emission controls are not “defeat devices.” Motor vehicles equipped with defeat devices cannot be certified.
The complaint alleges that FCA equipped nearly 104,000 Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles (Model Years 2014-2016) sold in the United States with at least eight software-based features that were not disclosed in FCA’s applications for certificates of conformity and that affect the vehicles’ emission control systems. The undisclosed software features lessen the effectiveness of the vehicles’ emissions control systems during certain normal driving situations. This results in cars that meet emission standards in the laboratory and during standard EPA testing, but during certain normal on-road driving emit oxides of nitrogen (NOx) that are much higher than the EPA-compliant level. The complaint alleges that each of these vehicles differs materially from the specifications provided to EPA in the certification applications, and thus the cars are uncertified, in violation of the Clean Air Act.
These allegations are consistent with those set forth in notice of violation (“NOV”) that EPA issued to FCA US LLC and FCA NV on January 12, 2017.
Following the issuance of the NOV, EPA continued its investigation into the operation of the undisclosed software-based features. Based upon this investigation, the complaint alleges that one or more of these undisclosed software features, alone or in combination with the others, renders inoperative, bypasses and/or defeats the vehicles’ emission control systems, which were installed to make the vehicles comply with Clean Air Act emission standards. In short, the complaint now alleges that the vehicles contain defeat devices.
NOx pollution contributes to the formation of harmful smog and soot, exposure to which is linked to a number of respiratory- and cardiovascular-related health effects as well as premature death. Children, older adults, people who are active outdoors (including outdoor workers), and people with heart or lung disease are particularly at risk for health effects related to smog or soot exposure. Nitrogen dioxide formed by NOx emissions can aggravate respiratory diseases, particularly asthma, and may also contribute to asthma development in children.
The civil complaint filed today seeks injunctive relief and the assessment of civil penalties. The United States also filed a notice that it will request to transfer its case and fully participate in the pretrial proceedings now initiated in the related multi-district litigation in the Northern District of California.
EPA and the California Air Resources Board are continuing in their discussions with FCA to bring the subject vehicles into compliance with the Clean Air Act and California law. The nature and timing of any resolution of this issue are uncertain.
For more information on the FCA Diesel Violations:
https://www.epa.gov/fca To view the Notice of FCA Violation, visit:
https://www.epa.gov/fca/announcements-fca-violations-0 EPA Stays Landfill Methane Rules
05/23/2017
Contact Information:
U.S. EPA Media Relations (
press@epa.gov)
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a 90-day administrative stay for the August 2016 New Source Performance Standards and Emissions Guidelines for municipal solid waste landfills. In a May 5th
letter, EPA notified industry petitioners that the agency was granting their reconsideration request. This stay will allow EPA to reconsider certain aspects of the new source standards and emission guidelines for existing landfills. Consistent with President Trump’s
Energy Independence Executive Order Energy Independence Executive Order, EPA will continue to review these actions to ensure that they protect the environment and enable a growing economy.
“EPA is continuing to ensure that the public has the opportunity to comment on agency actions,”
said Administrator Scott Pruitt. “Reconsidering portions of the landfill rules will give stakeholders the opportunity to review these requirements, assess economic impacts and provide feedback to the agency through the reconsideration process.”
In August 2016, EPA issued updated guidelines for existing municipal solid waste landfills and standards for newly built, modified or reconstructed landfills. Municipal solid waste landfills receive non-hazardous waste from homes, businesses and institutions. The updated rules require landfills to install and operate landfill gas collection systems, monitor emissions, as well as other provisions. EPA is reconsidering certain aspects of these standards, including the surface emissions monitoring option known as tier 4. To allow time for EPA to review these aspects, which are central to the outcome of the rule, both rules are stayed. Sources do not need to comply with any of the requirements while the 90-day stay is in effect. EPA estimates that implementing these rules would cost businesses more than $100 million per year to install and operate gas collection and control systems.
As part of the reconsideration process, EPA expects to prepare a proposed rule, which will allow for public comment. Additional information on the stay and reconsideration:
https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/municipal-solid-waste-landfills-new-source-performance-standards.
