Idaho Statesman Logo

New EPA rule will clean the air for 240 million Americans | Idaho Statesman

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services

    • News
    • Boise
    • West Ada
    • Canyon County
    • Crime
    • State News
    • Nation/World News
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Idahoans in the Military
    • Weather
    • Traffic
    • Helping Works
    • In the Classroom
    • Our Community
    • Sports
    • Boise State Football
    • Boise State Basketball
    • Idaho Vandals
    • High Schools
    • Bronco Beat
    • Chadd Cripe
    • Varsity Extra Blog
    • NFL
    • NBA
    • NHL
    • MLB
    • Golf
    • Idaho Politics
    • Elections
    • Government and Business
    • Capitol & State
    • Letters from the West
    • National Politics
    • Business
    • Business Insider
    • Business Columns & Blogs
    • Personal Finance
    • Legal Notices
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Bill Manny
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Guest Opinion
    • Submit a Letter or Opinion
    • Entertainment
    • Events Calendar
    • Restaurant Reviews
    • Arts and Culture
    • Festivals
    • Movie Reviews
    • Movie Showtimes
    • Music
    • Television
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Puzzles
    • Words & Deeds
    • ArtsBeat
    • Outdoors
    • Playing Outdoors Blog
    • Biking
    • Camping
    • Fishing
    • Hiking and Trails
    • Hunting
    • Winter Recreation
    • Living
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Treasure
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Best of Treasure Valley
    • Heart of the Treasure Valley
    • Margaret Lauterbach
    • Tim Woodward
    • Carolyn Hax
  • Obituaries

  • Contests
  • Advertise
  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

News

New EPA rule will clean the air for 240 million Americans

Renee Schoof - McClatchy Newspapers

    ORDER REPRINT →

July 07, 2011 04:21 PM

WASHINGTON — Pollution that blows hundreds of miles from coal-fired power plants into other states will be reduced under a final plan that the Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday.

The rule, a revision of a Bush administration plan, will require pollution reductions in 27 states from Texas and Minnesota on the west to the East Coast. Cleaner, healthier air is expected as a result in the eastern, central and southern parts of the country, home to 240 million people.

The Clean Air Act requires under a "good neighbor" provision that power plants don't export pollution to other states. Some states, including North Carolina and Delaware, cleaned up their own plants but ended up with unhealthy air days anyway because of pollution from tall power plant smokestacks hundreds of miles away in other states.

"Just because wind and weather will carry pollution away from its source at a local power plant, it doesn't mean the pollution is no longer that plant's responsibility," EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said. "Pollution that crosses state lines puts a greater burden on states and makes them responsible for cleaning up someone else's mess."

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Idaho Statesman

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Medical experts say that the fine particles and soot from power plants can be deadly, especially for people with heart and lung conditions. Bad air days also aggravate asthma and are even hazardous for healthy people who exercise outdoors.

The EPA said the new rule would prevent up to 34,000 premature deaths a year when it's phased in by 2014. It also estimated that there would be15,000 fewer nonfatal heart attacks, 19,000 fewer cases of acute bronchitis and 400,000 fewer cases of worsened asthma each year. The numbers are compared to 2005, before the earlier rule went into effect.

While many of the nation's power plants have installed the equipment needed to reduce the pollution, others have held off.

The equipment was first required under a 2005 rule issued by the Bush administration EPA to solve the interstate pollution problem. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia struck it down in 2008, however, saying it was "fundamentally flawed" and didn't go far enough. The court left the old rule temporarily in place and gave the EPA a deadline to improve it.

Jackson said the new plan puts firmer caps on pollution. She said that it also gives states flexibility on how to implement the requirements.

The EPA estimated the pollution controls would cost $1.6 billion per year over 30 years. It projected health benefits of $280 billion per year. The agency also said that the money spent on pollution controls would create U.S. jobs.

Critics, however, warned of higher electricity rates and lost jobs.

Sen. Jon Cornyn, R-Texas, objected at a recent hearing that the rule would require Texas to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by almost half in just six months. He said he had concerns about "the projected harm it will do to electricity producers and consumers and job creators in my home state."

Jackson told reporters at a briefing on Thursday that if Texas were not included it would contribute to air pollution affecting thousands of families outside the state. She also said that Texas had cost-effective means to reduce pollution and would be able to continue to burn coal to make electricity.

House Republicans this year have argued that the EPA has gone too far with proposed regulations on air and water pollution. Their proposed appropriations bill for the agency would cut its budget by 18 percent and restrict its authority.

Conservation and environmental groups applauded the new rule.

Clean Air Watch, an advocacy group, reported this week that 38 states and Washington, D.C., had smoggy days this year, when pollution exceeded the government limit.

"This is a long overdue and much needed step towards protecting the health of people in states downwind of big coal burning power plants. It will prove to be a life saver," Clean Air Watch president Frank O'Donnel said in an email.

The EPA said that the pollution reductions also would improve visibility in parks and reduce acid rain that harms plants and wildlife in forests, lakes and streams.

"This is a historic day for the Adirondack Park, the Catskill Park and the neighboring Appalachian Mountain Range, from Maine to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park," Brian L. Houseal, executive director of the Adirondack Council, said in a statement. The environmental group has been fighting acid rain since 1975.

ON THE WEB:

State data and other information about the rule

Daily forecast of unhealthy air, by state or zip code

MORE FROM MCCLATCHY

EPA edges closer to national coal plant cleanup

Pollution worsens kids' asthma, but efforts to cut it split Congress

EPA settles with TVA over pollution from coal plants

Check out McClatchy's politics blog: Planet Washington

Related stories from Idaho Statesman

news

EPA to crack down on interstate pollutants from power plants

July 06, 2010 03:17 PM

news

EPA edges closer to national coal plant cleanup

June 28, 2011 11:23 AM

news

EPA requires cleanup of mercury from cement plants

August 09, 2010 03:56 PM

news

Pollution worsens kids' asthma, but efforts to cut it split Congress

June 08, 2011 04:30 PM

  Comments  

Videos

Some Republicans were against executive power on immigration. Now they aren’t.

Sassy? You bet. Cheekys’ country-girl chic clothing-and-accessories line is an Idaho business with national appeal.

View More Video

Trending Stories

Vote now for the Treasure Valley athletes of the week (Feb. 11-16)

February 18, 2019 02:31 PM

Boise Hawks’ stadium to host big rock festival. Free beer in ticket price? Cheers, punk

February 19, 2019 11:58 AM

The million-dollar Boise home? Ho-hum. See who’s buying houses for $2 million and up

February 19, 2019 10:18 AM

Meridian wants an overpass fast, but road agencies don’t. So Meridian may cough up cash

February 19, 2019 01:05 PM

Police said he was drunk in a crash that injured 17. He wasn’t. 46 years later, he tells his story.

February 18, 2019 03:03 PM

Read Next

Amazon knows it’ll increase traffic. Nampa’s making it cough up cash for road upgrades

Canyon County

Amazon knows it’ll increase traffic. Nampa’s making it cough up cash for road upgrades

By Kate Talerico

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 20, 2019 12:03 AM

The Nampa City Council authorized an agreement with Project Bronco, rumored to be an Amazon fulfillment center. Developers will fund $14 million in payments and roadway upgrades to alleviate increased traffic.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Idaho Statesman

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE NEWS

Police dismiss tip Smollett, 2 brothers together in elevator

Entertainment

Police dismiss tip Smollett, 2 brothers together in elevator

February 20, 2019 12:07 AM
Samsung poised to unveil new phones in bid to revive sales

Business

Samsung poised to unveil new phones in bid to revive sales

February 20, 2019 01:08 AM

Business

Air France and KLM end power struggle, agree to closer ties

February 20, 2019 01:00 AM
Royale rumble: ‘Apex Legends’ smashing ‘Fortnite’ records

Entertainment

Royale rumble: ‘Apex Legends’ smashing ‘Fortnite’ records

February 20, 2019 12:48 AM

Nation & World

Daughter of ex-Mao secretary boycotts Communist-led memorial

February 20, 2019 12:46 AM

Business

Swiss bank UBS may face massive fines in French trial

February 20, 2019 12:46 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Idaho Statesman App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Place an Obituary
  • Today's Circulars
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story