[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 11, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1570]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S [EPA] PROPOSED CLUSTER RULE FOR 
                      THE PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY:

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                         HON. MICHAEL D. CRAPO

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 11, 1996

  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to provide comments on the 
proposed Cluster rule for the pulp and paper industry, and specifically 
comments on the EPA's July 15 Federal Register notice. The forest and 
paper industry provides significant jobs and economic benefits in our 
State and its local communities. Several of us have communicated with 
EPA's staff directly in the past to express our concern about the 
original 1993 proposal. We believe strongly that EPA can, and should be 
able to achieve important environmental goals without damaging our 
State and communities. We commend EPA's efforts to improve the proposed 
rule, first in last spring's Federal Register notice on the MACT 
portion of the Cluster rule, and most recently in the July 15 notice. 
We urge you to promptly issue a final Cluster rule that incorporates 
these and other necessary improvements.
  One of the many improvements that has been announced for 
consideration for the final rule is the selection of option A as the 
basis for best available technology limits. The July 15 notice 
identifies this option as the most cost-effective, noting that it 
appears to provide comparable benefits to the more costly option, 
especially in the area reductions in key pollutant parameters.
  Improving the cost-effectiveness of the Cluster rule will also help 
ensure the success of the voluntary incentives program EPA has 
proposed. We encourage EPA to continue to seek new ways of achieving 
greater regulatory flexibility. For this new program to succeed, EPA 
must ensure that the criteria are focused on improvements in 
environmental measures and the incentives provide meaningful 
inducements for potential participants.
  We urge EPA again to move forward promptly to issue a final rule 
incorporating option A and the other improvements being considered. We 
believe that such a rule would protect the environment as well as the 
jobs employing the men and women who support Idaho's local communities.

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