Independent of the proposed cap and trade bills in the US House and Senate, the EPA said Wednesday that it would require large industrial facilities that emit 25,000 tonnes of CO2 a year to obtain construction and operating permits to cover their emissions.

“We have the tools and the technology to move forward today and we are using them,” said Lisa Jackson, EPA administrator. “This is a common sense rule that is carefully tailored to apply to only the largest sources – those from sectors responsible for nearly 70 per cent of US greenhouse gas emissions sources.”

The EPA estimates that 400 new sources and modifications to existing sources would be subject to review each year for emissions. Some 14,000 power plants and industrial facilities would need to obtain operating permits that include emissions.