EPA`s model open market trading rule - can it work?

Conference · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:390789

Wrenn, C M

The 1990 Amendments to the CAA established new deadlines for meeting the health standard for ozone and significant EPA, state industry effort has been made to reach the defined attainment goals. While great progress has been made towards acheiving a healthier air quality under the CAA, over 100 million people still live in areas that do not meet the ozone health standard. All of these areas have requirements for resonably available control technology (RACT) for major stationary sources of VOC and NO{sub x}. However, industry and mobile sources are still producing concentrations of ozone precursors (NO{sub x} & VOC) that cause or smog, a phenomenon which is especially severe during warm weather seasons. High ground-level ozone concentrations have been linked to health problems in adults and children and damage of synthetic materials, property, crops, forest and natural systems. Traditional {open_quotes}smog{close_quotes} reduction programs in the U.S. (e.g, RACT) have always focused on curtailing emissions from each and every stack. As a result, sources which are more difficult to control pay a disproportionaltely high cost to comply. Without the ability to pass on cost efficiencies between participants, the overall cost of compliance remains high, affecting productivity and possibly future expansion plans. The EPA has recognized the inefficiency involved in this strategy and, since the late 1970`s has developed policies which permit a variety of {open_quotes}emissions trading{close_quotes} approaches. The Open Market Trading Rule (OMTR) is one of these approaches.

• OSTI ID: 390789
• Report Number(s): CONF-9603118--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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