--Set higher limits for the amount of pollution that can be released by calculating emissions on a plant-wide basis rather than for individual pieces of equipment.
--Rely on the highest historical pollution levels during the past decade when figuring whether a facility's overall pollution increase requires new controls.
--Avoid having to update pollution controls if there has already been a government review of existing ones within the past 10 years.
--Exempt increased output of secondary contaminants that result from new pollution controls for other emissions.
In addition, the agency is proposing a new way of defining what constitutes ``routine maintenance, repair and replacement'' -- key language that helps determine when the regulations should kick in and is particularly important for aging coal-fired power plants.
The EPA plans to grant power plants, factories and refineries an annual ``allowance'' for maintenance. Only when expenditures rise above that allowance would an owner or operator have to install new pollution control equipment. Replacement of existing equipment would be considered maintenance.
The administration said the new maintenance treatment ``will offer facilities greater flexibility to improve and modernize their operations in ways that will reduce energy use and air pollution.''