WASHINGTON - The Environmental Protection Agency (news - web sites) is considering actions against nearly two dozen utilities for violating air pollution rules the Bush administration has been trying to make less burdensome to industry, according to agency officials.
No decision has been made whether to actually pursue the cases against all 22 utilities, although 14 of them already have been referred to the Justice Department (news - web sites), said one EPA official, who would discuss the matter only on condition of anonymity because the cases are pending.
The enforcement agenda reflects five years of preparation by EPA staff to identify alleged clean air violations by some of the country's largest utilities.
Neither the EPA nor the Justice Department would confirm or deny the pending enforcement actions Wednesday.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20040715/ap_on_go_ot/clean_airThis must be a new campaign fundraising drive.