At the urging of U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and ten other senators, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced they have agreed to revise a rule relating to the regulation of biomass and other alternative energy sources used as fuel. Senator Snowe expressed serious concern that the rule created unnecessary uncertainty over whether alternative energy would be erroneously redefined as a non-hazardous material and thus subject to regulations that currently apply to facilities that are incinerators that burn waste.Senator Snowe stated that, "I appreciate that EPA has agreed to our request to revise the devastating Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials rule that Maine's key employers agreed would have negated millions of dollars in alternative energy investments, particularly in our paper mills. Going forward with this revision, I will continue working closely with these companies and their employees to ensure EPA's final rule ultimately works for Maine's critical pulp and paper industry while providing the necessary health and safety protections for the public. I am proud that Maine's key employers are leading the way in shifting to alternative energy sources like biomass and I look forward to reviewing the revised rule later this month to ensure more companies can take advantage of this resource."
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Posted 10/19/2011
