Clean Air Change Is Built Into Bill

[Rose Siding]

Deep in the energy bill that was approved by a House committee this week, under a section titled "Miscellaneous," is a brief provision that could have major consequences for communities struggling to clean up their dirty air.

If it becomes law, it would make one of the most significant changes to the Clean Air Act in 15 years, allowing communities whose air pollution comes from hundreds of miles away to delay meeting national air quality standards until their offending neighbors clean up their own air.

The provision could especially affect states like New York, which has some of the nation's dirtiest air, and other Northeastern states that have always had difficulty meeting federal standards for ozone, a leading cause of smog, because much of any state's pollution originates in states to the south and west.
....
But House members who fought against the measure, and other opponents, say flexibility and discretion are just other words for delay, saving money for industry and posing risks for millions of people living where the air does not meet health-based standards.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/16/politics/16enviro.html?ex=1271304000&en=6f495a1486198690&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

[rodeodance]

1. "miscellanious" --+slime insertion!!!

[freedom_to_read]

2. gonna be a long climb back

once we get these losers out of power. lots uphill work ahead, catchin up to do.

[cap]

3. how many people will get sick and die because of this

eom

[catnhatnh]

4. In New Hampshire....

...we are currently arguing over OBD (on board diagnostic)testing for automobile pollution. This system plugs into your car's existing system and diagnoses problems and POTENTIAL problems in emission control systems. Currently cars must be tested but for the first year no repairs are mandated. This system was ordered by the EPA since air quality in the lowest few counties in NH have hit mandatory cut off points. There is very little manufacturing activity here.How much do you think I enjoy the cost and bother of one more yearly government compliance check because of heavy industries in Pittsburg and Detroit.Clean air IS important but OBD testing can only be employed on cars manufactured after 1996-yep that's right- and the EPA and our idiot child, state legislature picked a compliance system that fails to test bigger, older, more pollution prone autos. Anyhow loophole or not I suspect this sounds the death knell for this form of testing up here. The legislature WAS strong armed into this with the threat of highway funds cutoffs. I hope if it is ever implemented again they will use tailpipe emissions test to determine ACTUAL pollution as opposed to an onboard computer that could report potential problems as actual flaws.

[G_j]

5. & * is visiting an area of rapidly declining air quality for Earth Day!

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050415/NEWS01/50415007/1001

(note: Smoky Mountains National Park has the worst air quality of all the national parks)
:puke:

President Bush to visit Smokies for Earth Day event

By Julie Ball
STAFF WRITER
published: April 15, 2005 12:15 pm

GATLINBURG, Tenn. - President Bush will make a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park next week for an Earth Day event, according to the office of a Tennessee congressman.

The office of U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. announced that Bush plans to visit the park for an event Friday, April 22.

An official in the office said, “We can confirm that the White House has indicated he will be in the Smokies for an Earth Day event one week from today.”

Neither the White House nor the park would confirm the visit.

..more..

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Add another outrage to the long, long list -- nt

[fighttotheend]

7. It just makes me SICK...

That the BUSH KLAN has no regard for this enviroment, someone needs to tell them after the earth is gone so are all of us including him and his millions. You cant spend your millions in the after life. As money was created and valued only by humans.

[DrDebug]

8. Let me get this straight

If state A has polluting factories but does meet the air standards then state A is considered clean. The wind blows the pollution to state B which now doesn't meet the requirements, however it didn't originate from their state so B doesn't have to meet the requirement. Since A has already met the requirements then there is no incentive to clean up either. All in all nothing happens.