EPA "Green Group" fast-track air permitting.... approval to pollute in the guise of greening America

From "high desert reports" blog
http://laurapaskus.blogspot.com/2007/08/epas-flexible-air-permits.html

"Wednesday, August 29, 2007
EPA's "flexible" air permits

I just received a press release from the EPA, which is proposing changes to its air quality permitting rules -- which would include operating permits and New Source Review programs. According to the press release, the agency is doing this to "encourage pollution prevention; provide increased flexibility, enable industrial facilities to make rapid changes to respond to market demands; save resources for state permitting authorities, and improve public information."

EPA will accept comment on this proposed rule for 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register.

More about the proposal: http://epa.gov/nsr/actions.html#aug07

Information about EPA's New Source Review program: http://epa.gov/nsr/  "

From the EPA site: [Remember that ASARCO EL PASO said it was using BACT in 1992 when it installed CONTOP -- and then it proceeded to secretly handle and burn toxic waste]

"The proposed revisions to EPA’s NSR program describe how industrial facilities would obtain advance approvals of certain future changes under major NSR through the use of a new permit option called a “Green Group.”  A Green Group consists of a collection of emissions points ducted to a common, high performing air pollution control device.  This emissions control device must meet “best available control technology” (BACT) or “lowest achievable emission rate” (LAER), as applicable. The total annual emissions from all the new and existing emissions activities included in the Green Group are restricted to a level determined to be protective of the applicable national ambient air quality standards and the increments established to protect visibility and other air quality values.  The state, tribal or local permitting authority would retain the ability to determine if the Green Group permitting approach would be appropriate in a particular situation.

Sources may make changes within the scope of a Green Group approval without further review or approval by the permitting authority. To establish a Green Group, a source must go through the major NSR permitting process and obtain a permit which would limit future emissions growth over a 10-year period."