Bush's air plan fails the test

Bush's air plan

fails the test

The Bush administration's proposal on air quality rules — it wants to back off pollution regulations — is as disappointing as it is expected. Apparently, the administration decided that waiting any longer to release it would do nothing to disguise the imprint industry made on Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force, which underlies the plan.

The proposal accedes to industry's desire to gut the New Source Review provision, which was designed to, over time, bring older power plants, refineries and other facilities into compliance with modern pollution control rules.

Benefits of breathing clean air are worth the cost of regulation and higher standards.

New Source Review had become a major problem for power companies operating old power plants. They had been running into problems in trying to expand capacity without having to add new pollution controls. The Clinton administration and some states, especially New York, had gone to court to enforce compliance with New Source Review. But the federal suits ground to a halt under Bush.

What makes the new energy proposal even less satisfactory is that it is based on a legislative proposal — Clear Skies — that doesn't yet exist. The administration has offered an outline of the program, but has not sent legislative language — a bill — to Congress.

So the administration wants to base this policy on a program that we know almost nothing about. According to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, the new proposal would:

■ Allow companies with older, dirtier plants to avoid modern emission control requirements.

■ Give non-utility polluters an easier standard to meet in determining whether plant modifications have led to increased emissions.

■ Allow companies that act to clean up one pollutant in their emissions to not have to meet modern standards in other emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency says it intends to exempt many power plant modifications that in the past tripped New Source Review rules and required plants to meet new standards. The administration claims the rule has slowed or halted projects that would make plants more reliable, efficient or safe, or even that would protect the environment.

Critics say that that represents less than 1 percent of total U.S. generating power. Besides, if there is a demand for that power, companies will provide it, and people will buy it, even if it costs a little more to make it clean.

Money can't buy health — but we believe people are willing to pay a little more on their electric bill if it means they can breathe cleaner air.

Fortunately, the plan faces court tests and congressional scrutiny. Congress should make it clear it will not accept a retreat from more than two decades of cleaner air stemming from the Clean Air Act.