The American Wood Council (AWC) and American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) issued the following statement regarding the House Energy and Commerce Environment Subcommittee markup of H.R. 3128. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), seeks to clarify which types of facility upgrades require an owner to obtain a New Source Review (NSR) permit.

 

Robert Glowinski, president and CEO of AWC, noted that "the existing NSR permitting program has become a significant impediment to needed facility and environmental improvements because it relies on unrealistic modeling and emissions assumptions. Representative Griffith’s bill is a badly needed update to requirements that will allow projects to move forward, while remaining consistent with the intent of the Clean Air Act to promote public health and welfare. The program is currently broken, in one example preventing a new project that would have reduced emissions. This update will encourage industry to undertake projects that will both reduce emissions as well as enhance economic opportunities."

 

Donna Harman, President and CEO of AF&PA, added that "it doesn’t make sense to discourage upgrading plants already subject to myriad of other regulatory requirements, or to block beneficial projects simply due to antiquated policies. Yet, that is what is happening under an inflexible New Source Review permitting program. We thank Representative Griffith and Chairman Shimkus for their leadership on improving the New Source Review permitting program to ultimately result in more efficient manufacturing while still achieving the program’s goals."

 

The AWC is the voice of North American wood products manufacturing, an industry that provides approximately 400,000 men and women in the U.S. with family-wage jobs. AWC represents 86% of the structural wood products industry, and members make products that are essential to everyday life from a renewable resource that absorbs and sequesters carbon. Staff experts develop state-of-the-art engineering data, technology, and standards for wood products to assure their safe and efficient design, as well as provide information on wood design, green building, and environmental regulations. AWC also advocates for balanced government policies that affect wood products. More information can be found online.

The AF&PA serves to advance a sustainable U.S. pulp, paper, packaging, tissue, and wood products manufacturing industry through fact-based public policy and marketplace advocacy. AF&PA member companies make products essential for everyday life from renewable and recyclable resources and are committed to continuous improvement through the industry’s sustainability initiative - Better Practices, Better Planet 2020.The forest products industry accounts for approximately 4% of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP, manufactures more than $200 billion in products annually, and employs more than 900,000 men and women. The industry meets a payroll of approximately $50 billion annually and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 45 states. Visit AF&PA online.