A Retrospective Study of EPA's Air Toxics Program under the Revised Section 112 Requirements of the Clean Air Act

Resources for the Future Discussion Paper 15-23

42 Pages Posted: 26 Jun 2015 Last revised: 22 Oct 2015

See all articles by Arthur G. Fraas

Arthur G. Fraas

Resources for the Future

Alexander Egorenkov

Resources for the Future

Date Written: June 12, 2015

Abstract

Under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was required to establish standards limiting air toxics emissions from industrial plants. This paper examines the effect of five of the largest cost rules issued by EPA in the initial round of air toxics rulemaking over the 1995 to 2000 period. Our estimates suggest that plants in the printing and publishing and pulp and paper industries realized important reductions in their air toxics emissions in the period between publication of the final rule and the effective date for compliance with the rule — although the reduction in air toxics emissions by pulp and paper mills falls short of EPA’s ex ante projections. However, our estimates suggest that plants in the other three industries — petroleum refining, pharmaceutical, and wood furniture — achieved little or no additional reduction in air toxics emissions over the compliance period in response to EPA’s air toxics rules. Finally, the paper explores steps that EPA should take in setting up future retrospective analyses.

Keywords: air toxics emissions, regulation, emissions reductions

Suggested Citation

Fraas, Arthur G. and Egorenkov, Alexander, A Retrospective Study of EPA's Air Toxics Program under the Revised Section 112 Requirements of the Clean Air Act (June 12, 2015). Resources for the Future Discussion Paper 15-23, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2622704 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2622704

Arthur G. Fraas (Contact Author)

Resources for the Future ( email )

1616 P ST, NW
Washington, DC 20036
United States

Alexander Egorenkov

Resources for the Future ( email )

1616 P Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
United States

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