Environmental -- 2018



Sierra Club v. EPA   (D.C. Circuit)

Boiler MACT reconsideration rule

The NAM intervened in a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit involving a 2015 EPA Rule regarding environmental restrictions on industrial boilers. The rule requires maximum achievable control technology (MACT) for equipment to reduce emissions of hazardous air pollutants, taking into consideration the cost of achieving such reductions. There are two primary issues in the case: (1) whether the EPA properly established a minimum standard level of 130 parts per million (ppm) of carbon monoxide for certain boiler emissions and; (2) whether the EPA reasonably established work practice standards for periods of startup and shutdown where it is impracticable to determine compliance with numerical standards during those periods. Manufacturers would bear a large burden and financial hardship if the Sierra Club prevailed in its challenge to this rule. Our brief argued that EPA properly justified setting the limit at 130 ppm for carbon monoxide as a proxy for hazardous air pollutants The court held that the 130 ppm limit is reasonable and also held that the rule’s flexibility on emissions during startup and shutdown of the boilers is reasonable and consistent with the Clean Air Act. The plaintiffs filed a petition for rehearing with the court, which the NAM opposed, and the court denied the rehearing request.


Related Documents:
NAM Petition  (June 5, 2018)
NAM intervenor brief  (November 16, 2016)
NAM motion to intervene  (February 18, 2016)