Brian Willis, 202.675.2386, Brian.Willis@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, DC - Former coal lobbyist and EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler revealed his plan today for significantly weakening air quality protections in the Clean Air Act New Source Review (NSR) program. NSR requires industrial polluters to install state-of-the-art, cost-effective pollution controls when they upgrade or modify their equipment in a way that increases their emissions. Weakening the NSR program has long been a priority for industrial polluters, and Andrew Wheeler’s former coal clients.
With today’s announcement, Wheeler’s EPA has proposed opening a major loophole in the NSR program that will allow polluting facilities to claim that planned decreases in pollution will offset any immediate increases in pollution, thus escaping their obligation to install critically-needed pollution control technology. The proposal would also abandon the EPA’s procedures that have always ensured that such claims are accurate and enforceable. The practical result of the rollback will be an increase in air pollution, with especially harmful impacts in the communities that surround major industrial facilities, including coal and chemical plants, oil refineries, and incinerators.
In response, Jonathan Levenshus, Sierra Club’s Director of Federal Campaigns, released the following statement:
“Today’s announcement to weaken the vitally important New Source Review program perfectly illustrates that former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler is working for his former clients to undercut the EPA’s clean air protections. By attacking the New Source Review program, he’s allowing some of the wealthiest industries in our country to avoid cleaning up their air emissions instead of installing modern pollution controls on their dirty facilities.
“It’s clear from this proposal that public health is not Wheeler’s top concern. Apparently, he’s more concerned about the financial health of the polluters that funded his boss’s presidential campaign and used to write his paycheck. As a father of two young children, I am even more motivated to stop Wheeler’s dangerous proposal to harm air quality and public health. The Sierra Club will not stand for this.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.