National Academy Of Sciences - "Clear Skies" A Step Backwards

[hatrack]

"The Bush administration's "Clear Skies" proposal to rewrite the nation's chief air-quality rules for power plants would not reduce pollution as much as existing Clean Air Act regulations, according to an interim report by the National Academy of Sciences.

The findings prompted sparring in Washington, with some critics of the administration's environmental policies asserting that the changes would weaken clean air rules, and some energy industry groups arguing that the report was being exaggerated. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials, meanwhile, maintained that proposed changes to air-quality rules would do a better job of reducing pollution than the status quo.

The National Academies report, written by an independent panel of university professors and researchers, stated that Clear Skies, currently under consideration by Congress, is less stringent than a set of regulations known as New Source Review. The New Source Review rules, in effect since 1977, require power plants to install costly upgrades to reduce emissions if the plants are being upgraded.

The report also said the existing regulations are stronger than the Clean Air Interstate Rule, another set of proposed changes that the EPA is considering in case Congress does not pass the Clear Skies legislation."

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http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-air14jan14,1,4756800.story?coll=la-news-a_section