SWANA Urges Changes to Proposed Greenhouse Gas Tailoring Rule

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) has submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over a proposed greenhouse gas regulation. Specifically, the comments concern the agency’s proposed Prevention of Significant Deterioration and Title V Greenhouse Gas Tailoring Rule.

The proposal “is targeted at facilities with emissions over 25,000 tons of CO2e annually and would require them to obtain permits that would demonstrate they are using Best Available Control Technologies (BACT) to minimize their [greenhouse gas] emissions,” according to a SWANA press release. “SWANA’s comments expressed many concerns with the rule, but mainly focused on the lack of industry involvement with BACT development and the fact that the proposed threshold is too low … ”

“If EPA were to finalize this rulemaking as proposed, they would subject a large number of very small solid waste disposal facilities to regulation under the Clean Air Act, ” said John Skinner, executive director and CEO of SWANA, in a press release. “This would represent a very expensive undertaking for the regulated facilities for a very small reduction in emissions.”

To read SWANA’s full letter to the EPA, click here.