January 24, 1997

CONTENT-RELATED PRINCIPLES

FOR DEVELOPING WORK GROUP ISSUE PAPERS

Issue papers being developed for Subcommittee consideration should be based upon the following principles:

1. Progress toward attainment of revised NAAQS and achievement of regional haze program requirements should be achieved in an expeditious manner. Timetables for achieving progress should be informed by consideration of a number of factors, including health and environmental benefits, cost and technical impediments, available scientific information, requirements of the CAA, and administrative requirements.

2. In the event of State or other responsible institution's failure to plan (or to participate in planning) and implement plans, within the designated timeframes, the Federal government must take timely action to remedy the situation.

3. All options/recommendations must be based upon specified deadlines for planning, implementing and attaining the NAAQS and implementing regional haze program requirements.

4. All options/recommendations which may require amendments to the CAA must be clearly identified with advantages and disadvantages for such changes analyzed.

5. Assure timely environmental progress. Timely environmental progress means, at a minimum, continuing air quality improvements at a rate no less rapid than will be required to meet the current NAAQS. Early Federal, State and local actions to improve PM fine air quality should be encouraged.

6. Control strategies should be effective in achieving air quality objectives, should be designed to accommodate flexible response methods by emission sources, and should encourage continuing improvements in air quality. To this end, the advantages, disadvantages, and available information on cost effectiveness of a full range of control methods should be presented, including technology-based performance standards, market-based approaches, and other traditional and nontraditional approaches.

7. All options/recommendations should provide for the use of best available, scientifically-based explanations to be used in planning requirements and control strategy development. Such options/recommendations should include methods to identify the role of nonlocal transport processes and mechanisms designed to address such processes.

8. Opportunities for integration of planning and implementation for ozone, PM and haze that achieve better environmental results and lower costs should be fully pursued.

9. Planning and implementation proposals should identify methods for early and continued involvement of potentially affected interests, to the maximum extent possible, to assist in the attainment of the revised NAAQS and achieving reasonable progress toward regional haze program goals.