Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is working to stay enforcement of the EPA's proposed rule for regulating boiler emissions, according to the Hardwood Federation, a wood products lobbying group of which the NWFA is a part.
Collins introduced the EPA Regulatory Relief Act as an amendment to a wide-reaching transportation bill currently under consideration by the Senate's Committee on Environment and Public Works.
"The amendment will legislatively stay the rules for 15 months to give EPA the time it was denied by the court to rewrite the rules and provide additional time for the facilities to comply once the rules are finalized. It will also ensure achievability across the range of fuels and operating conditions and clarify classifications of materials," the Hardwood Federation wrote in a letter to supporters.
The rule for maximum achievable control technology (MACT) on boilers was proposed by the EPA in March 2011, and the agency expects to take final action on the rule in April this year, barring any staying action. The House passed its version of the EPA Regulatory Relief Act in October 2011, a move criticized by the White House and environmental groups.
