Abstract |
The New Source Review (NSR) program is one of many programs created by the Clean Air Act to reduce emissions of air pollutants particularly criteria pollutants that are emitted from a wide variety of sources and have an adverse impact on human health and the environment. Other key programs include the Title IV Acid Rain Program, MACT standards and other air toxics standards, New Source Performance Standards, the 22-state NOx SIP Call, the Regional Haze Program, numerous mobile source programs, and other state and local SIP-based emissions standards. Government officials from both major political parties and industry groups have expressed the belief that the NSR program is unnecessarily complicated and often serves as an unnecessary obstacle to environmentally beneficial projects in the energy sector, such as those that improve energy reliability and efficiency and promote the use of renewable resources. The Presidents National Energy Policy Development Group asked EPA to investigate whether the NSR program does, in fact, have such impacts. The Agencys review of the NSR program was broad-based. |