Environmental -- 2019



California Communities Against Toxics v. EPA   (D.C. Circuit)

Streamlined air permitting under the Clean Air Act

The NAM filed an amicus brief to defend the EPA’s withdrawal of a prior EPA policy known as "once in, always in" that imposed unreasonable and unlawful regulatory burdens on manufacturers under the Clean Air Act. In January of 2018, the EPA issued a guidance memorandum withdrawing the prior policy for the classification of major sources of hazardous air pollutants under section 112 of the Clean Air Act. With the new guidance, sources of hazardous air pollutants previously classified as “major sources” may be reclassified as “area” sources when the facility limits its potential to emit below major source thresholds. The new policy promotes regulatory clarity and reduces burdens for manufacturers while continuing to ensure stringent and effective controls on hazardous air pollutants. Environmental groups sued to challenge the policy change. The NAM filed an amicus brief in support of the EPA. Our brief explains how the policy change will continue to preserve air quality while removing unlawful and excessive regulatory burdens on manufacturers. In a win for manufacturers, on August 20, 2019, the court dismissed the challenge, finding the guidance was not final agency action subject to judicial review.


Related Documents:
NAM brief  (January 14, 2019)