Environmental Equity Act of 1987

Summary

Environmental Equity Act of 1987 - Amends the Federal Power Act to declare that: (1) it is the environmental policy of the United States to prevent the transfer of environmental problems to foreign countries without assuring adequate protection for public health and the environment in those countries; (2) the environmental problems associated with the generation of electric energy should not degrade or contaminate the environments of foreign countries; and (3) the price of all electric energy consumed in the United States regardless of country of origin will include the cost associated with protection of public health and the environment to the degree provided by Federal law. Directs the Secretary of Energy to prepare a comprehensive inventory of all transfers of electric energy from foreign countries to the United States that occurred during 1985 through 1987, including contracts for the importation of electric energy into the United States after July 1, 1988, and the identification of all foreign generating units concerned. Requires submission of the inventory to the Congress and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA Administrator) by July 1, 1988. Requires the EPA Administrator, after reviewing such inventory, to determine whether the laws of the foreign country, as applied to the generating unit or transmission line, provide the same or greater degree of protection of public health and the environment as would U.S. law if so applied. Directs the Administrator to issue a Certificate of Nondegradation for the particular unit or line if the foreign laws provide as much or greater protection than U.S. law. Specifies the determinations which must be made in order for such a certificate to be issued. Requires that foreign laws provide for environmental assessment and environmental impact statements, as well as the right of the foreign citizens and U.S. citizens to appeal to a court, tribunal, or other entity any adverse action. Prohibits the importation, after January 1, 1990, of electric energy for sale in interstate commerce generated by a generating unit or transmission line in operation on July 1, 1988, without a certificate. Prohibits the importation, after July 1, 1988, of any such electric energy generated by a newly constructed unit or along a new transmission line which has not obtained a certificate. Requires the EPA Administrator to review each certificate every four years. Specifies the conditions under which a certificate may be renewed. Establishes a $50,000 civil penalty for each violation of the prohibition set forth in this Act. Empowers the Secretary of Energy to commence a civil action to enjoin any violator of this Act and collect the penalty. Empowers any person on his own behalf to bring such an action.

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1 official file

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 21 October 1987

  Open at official source

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