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EPA to revisit
tighter refinery emissions rules
By MATTHEW TRESAUGUE HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Oct. 21, 2009, 8:29PM
Federal environmental regulators will reopen the
possibility of tighter controls for harmful emissions
from refineries, tossing aside part of a last-minute
decision by the Bush administration that concluded the
potential health risks did not require additional
rules.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's reversal
comes in response to Houston Mayor Bill White, who
argued that the January decision failed to fully
consider the risk of cancer for those who live near a
refinery emitting toxic chemicals, such as benzene and
1,3-butadiene.
In a letter and in testimony to the EPA, White
asserted that the agency's risk analysis
underestimates the exposure of nearby residents to
cancer-causing chemicals because it relies on
industry-reported emissions estimates. What's more, it
fails to include the impact of flawed data, which is
compounded in areas with multiple refineries, such as
Greater Houston.
Full Article
EPA
Administrator Announces Plan To Retool And
Reinvigorate Clean Water Enforcement Program
October 16, 2009
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator
Lisa P. Jackson announced recently at a House
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing
that the agency is stepping up its efforts on Clean
Water Act enforcement. The Clean Water Action
Enforcement Plan is a first step in revamping the
compliance and enforcement program. It seeks to
improve the protection of our nation's water quality,
raise the bar in federal and state performance and
enhance public transparency
Full Article
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