WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is seeking additional public feedback on the final standards for boilers and certain solid waste incinerators that were issued in February 2011. EPA said that this additional public review will ensure that any final standard will be fully informed by input and feedback from key stakeholders, including the public, industry, and public health communities.

As part of its reconsideration process, EPA will issue a stay postponing the effective date of the standards for boilers and incinerators to allow the agency to continue to seek additional public comment before an updated rule is proposed. This process of public comments, said EPA, will give close attention to both costs and benefits.

EPA noted that, following its April 2010 proposed standards, the agency received more than 4,800 comments from businesses and communities, including a significant amount of information that industry had not provided prior to the proposals. Based on this input, EPA made extensive revisions to the standards, and in December 2010 requested additional time for review to ensure the public’s input was fully addressed. However, a court ruling only granted EPA 30 days, resulting in the requirement for February 2011 final rules. EPA said it is reconsidering the standards because the public did not have sufficient opportunity to comment on the changes and, as a result, further public review and feedback is needed.

EPA will accept additional feedback on these standards until July 15, 2011.

For more information, visit www.epa.gov/airquality/combustion.

Publication date:05/23/2011