The Steel Industry Compliance Extension Act Brought About Some Modernization and Unexpected Benefits
Highlights
GAO assessed the impact of the Steel Industry Compliance Extension Act, which allowed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to defer, for approved steel companies, the date for meeting air pollution requirements. To approve a company under the act, EPA had to: (1) determine that the deferral of air pollution control spending was necessary to improve the efficiency of company facilities; (2) find that the company would spend on modernization an amount equal to the amount of air pollution control spending deferred; (3) reach agreement with the company for a judicial consent decree to ensure that company facilities would comply with federal law; (4) find that the company had sufficient funds to comply with federal law; and (5) determine that approval of the company would not degrade air quality during the compliance extension.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Congress should, in considering any future legislation which extends pollution control or other regulatory compliance deadlines, specifically define the criteria that EPA or other agencies should use to determine program eligibility. | This recommendation should be closed out since any future legislation of this type is uncertain. GAO is not aware of any such legislation pending. |