Page images
PDF
EPUB
[graphic]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

U.S. universities, bringing the total of these centers that conduct energy audits to 18. To date, 3,600 EADC audits, conducted at a cost of $18 million, have resulted in $400 million in energy savings to industry. DOE has initiated discussions with industries, states, and electric and natural gas utilities on ways to improve industrial energy audit techniques. The Department is participating with the Electric Power Research Institute and several utilities in an audit program for selected large industrial firms. Industrial energy audits are a first step in determining where efficiency improvements are most desirable and cost-effective.

Energy-Efficient Buildings. DOE expanded support for R&D on a range of energy efficient building technologies. Working with the Department of Housing and Urban Development on a DOE-HUD Initiative for Energy Efficiency in Housing, DOE funded efforts to increase energy efficiency in HUDaided housing and to help reduce utility costs of $2 billion per year. Areas of interest include home energy rating systems, energy-efficient mortgages, energy performance contracting in public housing, energy standards for manufactured housing, and guidelines for making Native American housing more energy efficient.

Integrated Resource Planning. DOE also increased funding for Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) to develop better analytical capabilities and to support state and local resource planning programs. The Department is evaluating 50 proposals from utilities and state regulators in response to a solicitation issued through the DOE Oak Ridge National Laboratory for IRP research.

Community Energy Systems. In 1992 HUD funded localities performing feasibility studies on preliminary designs for potential Community Energy Systems. Such systems provide reasonably priced energy for heating and cooling to businesses, industries, and residences. The goal is to foster community and economic development, maximize fuel efficiency, and reduce pollution.

Energy Production

During 1992 DOE received energy production proposals that included developing the Alaskan North Slope and sought Outer Continental Shelf leasing.

Alaskan North Slope Development Task Force. In 1992 the interagency Task Force on Alaskan North Slope Development began considering approaches to reduce regulatory and technical barriers to environmentally responsible development of northern

Alaska. Among the barriers under analysis are restrictions on causeway and pipeline construction and difficulties in recovering heavy oil at low temperatures. Targeted fields have the potential to yield 1 billion barrels of oil.

Outer Continental Shelf Leasing. In February 1991 the Department of the Interior issued a draft proposal for a 5year 1992-1997 leasing plan for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The proposal reflects the President's call for a more targeted OCS leasing program fully supported by scientific studies and sensitive to the concerns and needs of local areas. The plan would increase efforts to gather information on environmental and natural resources and to respond to the views expressed by states, local governments, and the public.

National Technology Initiative

In February 1992 the federal government launched the National Technology Initiative (NTI), with participation by DOE, the Department of Commerce, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of Transportation. NTI promotes rapid commercialization of advanced technologies, including energy and environmental technologies. For more information, see the Technology section.

Enforcement

Also see National Environmental Policy Act and related tables and figures in Part II.

S

trong enforcement supports environmental progress in two ways: by correcting specific violations of environmental law and, more generally, by deterring potential violations. Firm and fair enforcement ensures a level playing field for private-sector competitors and spurs polluters to look beyond mere compliance to preventing pollution in the first place.

In 1992, continuing a 3-year trend, civil and criminal penalties for federal environmental violations reached an alltime high. This trend likely will continue, since the Pollution Prosecution Act of 1990 authorized additional civil and criminal investigators for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through 1995. In addition, EPA and the Department of Justice (DOJ) introduced new enforcement techniques and market incentives to gain the greatest environmental benefits as rapidly as possible.

Conditions and Trends

To implement an Enforcement Four-Year Strategic Plan, EPA pursued a risk-based approach to environmental enforcement. The plan has the following objectives:

Identify violations that involve the most significant environmental and health risks;

Employ, where appropriate, several statutes in an integrated, comprehensive enforcement action; • Use innovative enforcement tools such as environmental auditing to promote pollution prevention; and

Choose enforcement actions that maximize the deterrent effect on other potential violators.

Historically most environmental enforcement has been media-specific, focusing, for example, on violations.

[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][merged small]
[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »