"This is a regime that has something to hide from the civilized world. States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world."
- U.S. President G. W. Bush
01.29.2002
- by REUTERS
New York Times
06.13.2002
The Bush administration on Thursday said it will relax costly air pollution rules when U.S. utilities are repaired or expanded, triggering a storm of protest from environmental groups and some Democrats.
The move by the Environmental Protection Agency came after months of lobbying by U.S. utilities and industry, which have long complained about complex rules on how far they can go to enlarge or upgrade a plant before having to install costly equipment to control smog, acid rain and soot.
``The need for reform is clear and has broad-based support,'' EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman said.
``Our review clearly established that some aspects of the New Source Review program have deterred companies from implementing projects that would increase energy efficiency and decrease air pollution,'' she said.
The changes to the agency's New Source Review program -- which is part of the Clean Air Act -- were 10 years in the making. They followed bitter court fights by some utilities over Clinton administration attempts to enforce the rules.
A Bush administration official called the changes a ''common-sense reform'' that balance environmental protection with the nation's need for more electricity. The rule change will also apply to oil refineries and industrial plants.
However, environmentalists and some Democrats criticized the action as the latest in a series of Bush administration moves allowing more pollution by industry.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle called the EPA announcement an ``extraordinary example'' of rolling back environmental protections.
``I'm very, very saddened by the news again today that once again clean air takes a back seat to the polluters and the special interests that seem to have such power in this administration,'' Daschle told reporters.
Environmental issues are expected to figure in many of the November elections that will determine control of the U.S. House and Senate.
The EPA is likely to face a court challenge from environmentalists or state regulators over the rule changes.
Emission regulations pit the Northeast against the Midwest, which has many aging coal-fueled power plants that blow pollution across state lines.
The EPA ignored the public health impact of more utility pollution, green groups said.
It's a major weakening of standards,'' said Philip Clapp, president of the National Environmental Trust. ``The EPA has no calculations on increased pollution or public health impacts.''
Clapp described the move as ``payback for big utility campaign contributions'' during the 2000 election.
The EPA said it prepared the new rules after concluding that the New Source Review program forced some utilities and refineries to cancel projects.
Under the new rules, utilities can expand production by easing emission baseline requirements that otherwise would require new pollution controls.
Plants will be allowed to use any consecutive 24-month period from the past 10 years to establish a baseline, as long as all current control requirements are taken into account.
As part of the new rules, the EPA also will clarify the definition of ``routine'' repairs by utilities and plants.
Current regulations exclude repairs and maintenance that are considered routine until a complex analysis is performed to determine what is routine. This has deterred companies from performing needed repairs, resulting in unnecessary emissions of pollution, according to the agency.
The new definition of ``routine'' repairs is sweeping, Clapp said.
``You can do anything but tear the plant down and keep your exemption, so these plants will never be cleaned up,'' he said.
A utility industry group said the new rules would help plants produce more electricity.
``The current misinterpretation of New Source Review has been a disaster for the environment and the economy,'' said Scott Segal, a spokesman for the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council. It represents utilities like Southern Co, FirstEnergy Corp and Duke Energy Corp .
The Clinton administration in November 1999 sued nine Midwest and Southern utilities to enforce the New Source Review rules. The Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation's largest public power producer, is awaiting a decision by a federal appeals court, which could set the tone for future cases.
Back to axis of evil main page.