The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule Tuesday that eases limits on hazardous air pollutants emitted by factories, plants, or other types of facilities considered “major” polluters.
The longstanding “once-in-always-in” policy, established in 1995, said that major polluting facilities that failed to meet certain emission thresholds would face tightened standards from then on, which would apply even if the facilities made changes to reduce pollution.
With the new Trump administration proposed rule, sources of hazardous air pollutants previously classified as “major sources” for their high amount of polluting can be treated as smaller facilities, subject to less rigorous rules, when they make improvements on limiting pollution.
The EPA said the “once-in-always-in” policy has discouraged facilities from implementing pollution control technology to reduce emissions.
“‘Once in, always in’ policies discourage facilities from deploying the latest pollution control technologies or modernizing in ways that increase efficiency and reduce emissions,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Today’s proposal would remove a major regulatory burden and incentivize investments in technologies that improve air quality and public health.”
EPA had first withdrawn the “once-in-always-in” policy in January 2018. The agency, with Tuesday’s action, is seeking to implement its changing of the policy.
EPA will accept comment on the proposal for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
Environmentalists say the EPA’s change would allow facilities to emit more pollution and have vowed to fight the move.
“There is lots of evidence, by EPA and others, that industries would be free to spew more toxic air pollutants,” said John Walke, the clean air director of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
