From the EPA:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued certain actions on December 23 to clarify that EPA will be issuing Clean Air Act permits for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on the state’s behalf starting in January 2011. The actions are related to Texas’ State Implementation Plan (SIP) for clean air and ensure that new and expanding large industrial facilities in Texas will be able to seek Clean Air Act permits for GHGs without delay or disruption. EPA’s actions are necessary because Texas officials have made it clear in multiple recent statements that TCEQ believes its current SIP, as approved, does not authorize the State to regulate GHGs. Furthermore, Texas officials recent statements also make clear that the state agencies have no intention of properly implementing the portion of the federal air permitting program that will cover GHG emissions. Therefore, EPA has concluded that the approval of that portion of Texas’ SIP was in error and has issued a partial disapproval of that portion of state of Texas’s SIP because it does not allow for regulation of GHGs. EPA is also assuming permitting authority for GHGs to ensure adequate permitting of GHGs can occur in the state of Texas in January 2011.
EPA notes that State agencies are generally well-suited to issue new GHG permits due to their experience as primary permitting authorities. EPA has made available guidance and training on GHG permitting to all interested State permitting authorities. In the same way that EPA is actively working with all other states and local permitting agencies, the agency stands ready to do the same with the state of Texas, so that Texas officials can take on the permitting authority for GHGs as quickly as possible. The TCEQ will continue as the permitting authority for all other pollutants and EPA will work with Texas officials on the permitting of individual facilities.
Open Letter to Permit Holders and Interested Members of the Public
More information is HERE
What You Can Do – You can participate in the permit process.
There are three ways you can MUST be involved with New Source Review (NSR).
- You can comment on NSR permits.
- You can comment on proposed EPA NSR regulations and EPA actions to approve state and local agency’s NSR regulations.
- You can bring enforcement actions against sources that are not complying with their permits.
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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"Specifically, the Act requires that sources emitting greenhouse gases over certain quantities
must obtain a PSD preconstruction permit for their emissions of those pollutants" "certain industrial facilities in Texas that emit large amounts of greenhouse gases" I want to take this all on good faith since this open letter is signed by region six superstar Al Armendariz but what amounts of greenhouse gas constitutes large? Will they take each well site as a single source or will they aggregate those close by? And do these new permitting rules apply to existing rigs? How much methane do these permits allow to be emitted? I guess I need to bone up on my Clean Air Act a bit to see exactly what greenhouse gas provisions are in it.
This is just a first step and is for refineries and big facilities.
If we can get the minor sources aggregated, that will be a huge help and they are working on that. They are also working on getting existing sources included.
Hmmm… I still worry about that horrific New York Times article that announced Obama's sudden love affair with Hydraulic Fracturing after the November elections. His administration, his EPA… Region six may be working it's tail off on correcting this drilling glut slowly, but I fear natural gas drilling will get a pass by Obama for national security reasons. Also, two days in a row New York City has had waaaaay better visibility than DFW. Pathetic…
I think Obama said that for political reasons because–for Pete's sake–the midterm elections were so brutal. The president's office is a political position so the man has to play politics or he can't ever get anything done.
In the meanwhile, more and more information will surface–trust me on this–proving how natural gas drilling is creating a whole new class of victims and even refugees.
Keep watching…