In Washington: Clean air bill stalls in Senate panel

In Washington: Clean air bill stalls in Senate panel

By RICHARD POWELSON, powelsonr@shns.com
March 10, 2005

WASHINGTON - A Senate committee Wednesday failed to pass any improvements to federal clean air laws, but senators said they hope folks back home will insist on passing a strong bill later this year.

"They are going to be calling in, wanting to be heard, and perhaps that can change some votes," said Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee.

The panel deadlocked on a 9-9 vote, failing to pass a bill including President Bush's ideas for cleaner air. Later in the day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it would announce today the final Clean Air Interstate Rule, which would cap sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the eastern United States.

Several Democrats on the panel plus Republican Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and Independent James Jeffords of Vermont said current law is better than Bush's bill named "Clear Skies." No Democrat voted for the bill; Chafee was the only Republican against it.

Both of Tennessee's senators, who are not members of the committee, said they were disappointed because they think the country needs tougher air pollution controls. But both also said they hope to keep working to pass a bill.

"Air pollution, as all of us know in Tennessee," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., "does provide a direct threat to public health as well as to the environment." He backs Bush's plan.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., earlier opposed Bush's plan and favored an alternative bill with Democrat Tom Carper of Delaware. While he still favors that bill for achieving faster reductions in sulfur, nitrogen and mercury pollutants, he said Wednesday that Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, has proposed changes to make Bush's bill more attractive.

"(Voinovich's) willingness to tighten controls on sulfur dioxide to a national cap of 2.5 million tons per year would help Knoxville and the Smokies more than any other part of our country," Alexander said. That compares to Bush's original limit of 3 million tons per year and the Carper-Alexander bill's ceiling of 2.25 million tons.

"The Great Smokies has become our country's most polluted national park," Alexander said. "Knoxville is at the top of the asthma lists. Three-fourths of Tennesseans live in counties in which the air violates federal standards."

Among various environmental organizations opposing the Bush plan were the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

"'Clear Skies' was a step back," said Kate Prevost of U.S. PIRG's Southeast regional office. "It would have made air pollution in Knoxville and in Tennessee worse - by stretching out the deadlines" for compliance with pollution controls.

"The electric power industry's air pollution plan looks to be down for the count," said Stephen Smith, Executive Director of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. "That's great news for the Tennesseans, and bad news for the polluting energy companies who were looking forward to this sweetheart deal. Even with a majority in the committee and in Congress, the White House has been unable to move this bill for the simple reason that it means more pollution and dirtier air."

Voinovich held up a thick binder at the committee's meeting, saying he had more than 400 letters and resolutions praising Bush's proposals.

The Knoxville-based Tennessee Valley Authority, which provides wholesale power to distributors in Tennessee and parts of most adjoining states, had endorsed Bush's plan.

TVA's chairman, Glenn McCullough Jr., said the agency considered Bush's approach to reducing air pollution "both aggressive and achievable." Until there is a new law passed, TVA will keep investing in pollution controls to meet milestones in the current law, he said.

"Regulatory uncertainty is a bad way to run a business," McCullough said. "It's hard to make huge financial commitments when you don't know what the rules may be. That does pose a challenge, but we will manage it."

The American Lung Association has criticized Bush's plan.

"Millions of children and adults with lung diseases like asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis can breathe easier with the news that the administration plan to severely weaken efforts to curb air pollution died on Capitol Hill," said John Kirkwood, the association's president.

However, the coal industry warned that no new long-term law means "slow future development of affordable electricity from domestic coal." Bush's plan would have provided "both environmental and economic benefits," National Mining Association President Jack Gerard said.

Richard Powelson may be contacted at 202-408-2727.