Steel Industry Compliance Extension Act of 1981

(Reported to Senate from the Committee on Environment and Public Works with amendment, S. Rept. 97-133)

Steel Industry Compliance Extension Act of 1981 - Amends the Clean Air Act to authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to extend the date for compliance with emission limitation requirements by owners or operators of a stationary source in an iron- and steel-producing operation if: (1) the compliance date extension is necessary to allow the applicant to make capital investments in its operations to improve efficiency and productivity; (2) the funds freed by such extension will be used within two years for additional capital investments in the applicant's operations; (3) the Administrator and the applicant agree to a phased compliance program for each of the applicant's stationary sources; (4) the applicant has sufficient funds to comply with such program; (5) the applicant is in compliance with any existing Federal decrees applicable to its operations; (6) the compliance date extension will not result in the degradation of air quality during the extension term; and (7) the State in which the source is located does not object to such schedule for compliance.

Provides that if such an extension will result in a modification of the proposed means of compliance involving a significant reduction in employment, then additional capital investments shall be made at iron- and steel-producing operations in the same community or labor market in which the reduction in employment would occur.

Prohibits the imposition of a noncompliance penalty under the Clean Air Act upon an owner or operator with a compliance date extension only if their stationary source remains in compliance with all the requirements of such extension.

Makes available to the public all information obtained by the Administrator under this Act, subject to a specified exception.

Directs the Administrator to publish notice of receipt of an application for extension of time in the Federal Register and to notify the appropriate State and local officials.

Provides that the State or local government in which the source is located, or any other person, has the right to intervene in any judicial proceeding to establish such compliance schedule.

Provides that Federal judicial decrees or implementation plans under such Act may not be modified to extend beyond 1985 a schedule of compliance for any source which receives such an extension under this Act.

States that revision of a State implementation plan is not required because a compliance date extension has been granted if such plan would have met Clean Air Act requirements prior to the granting of such extension.