[JURIST] The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [official website] has proposed three major changes [EPA materials; proposed rule] to the rules regulating when companies' oil process facilities must integrate new pollution control equipment. Environmental advocates say the rule changes, put forward Friday, allow companies to ignore the total pollution produced by a facility, instead focusing on emissions produced by individual pieces of machinery, while industry advocates say the changes will allow oil companies to respond to calls for increased supply.

According to the EPA fact sheet [text]:

We propose to change how emissions from emissions units upstream or downstream from the unit(s) undergoing a physical change or change in the method of operation are included in the calculation of an emissions increase for the project. Also, these proposed changes would clarify and codify our policy of when emissions increases from multiple projects are to be aggregated together to determine NSR applicability. Finally, we are clarifying how emissions decreases from a project may be included in the calculation to determine if a significant emissions increase will result from a project.