OKC Standard

U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works’ Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight Subcommittee, along with Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), has sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan. The letter expresses concern over a proposed rule concerning waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities.

The EPA’s proposed rule aims to tighten Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards for existing WTE facilities while removing compliance exceptions. According to the senators, this would lead to significant increases in compliance costs across Oklahoma without yielding substantial benefits. They have urged the EPA to reconsider its proposal before issuing a final rule, ensuring that new standards align with actual data provided.

"Municipal waste combustors, waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities, are a vital waste management technology that communities and businesses in Oklahoma use to divert waste from landfills, recycle metal, and generate renewable energy," wrote the lawmakers. "Communities and businesses in Oklahoma, and across the country have invested billions of dollars to ensure these facilities are meeting the already stringent environmental standards set by your agency and by states."

They further stated: "The EPA should be mindful of the fact that imposing standards that WTE facilities will never meet is well beyond EPA’s statutory authority."

The full letter can be accessed for more details.

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