The EPA acts: If Congress won't clean the air, this agency will
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The decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to move forward on limiting greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and refineries is a welcome step, especially because it comes as Congress stubbornly refuses to enact measures to protect the nation's air.
The EPA announced last week that it will propose standards for new and refurbished power plants in July and for new oil refineries next December; rules for existing power plants -- there are 16 coal-fired power plants in Western Pennsylvania -- would follow in 2015 or 2016. Nationwide, the plants and refineries emit about 40 percent of all greenhouse gases, and the rules are aimed at reducing carbon dioxide and other substances that are fouling the air today and harming the planet in the long term.
This decision comes in response to lawsuits filed against the EPA over its failure to control the emissions, and some plant operators already are bristling at the notion of more regulation. In Congress, there is an attempt to limit the authority of the agency whose role is as clear as its name: protecting our environment.
Its efforts should be applauded, not undercut.
We have heard many times before the claims that clean air regulations are unnecessary and harmful to a region's economy, but that is far from the truth. As reported in the Post-Gazette's series "Mapping Mortality," companies seeking to start or expand operations increasingly are looking for sites with the health of their employees in mind. If the air or water is fouled, they go elsewhere.
The EPA's announcement was vague regarding how extensively the agency intends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and how tough the penalties will be for violators. Both features will be key.
As reported in the PG series, alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act or Clean Water Act were filed against 14 of the region's coal-fired power plants over the last three years, yet the companies that own them paid relatively small penalties, even among facilities that were repeat violators. Similar experiences have been reported nationwide.
Issuing tougher regulations, vigorously enforcing them and imposing stiff penalties all are part of the comprehensive approach to air quality the nation has sorely needed.
First Published December 31, 2010 12:00 am
