Bush administration backs power sector's air standard review plan

Washington (Platts)--17Jul2006

The Bush administration wants the US Environmental Protection Agency to
use an approach favored by the power sector to decide whether to tighten its
air-quality standards for fine-particle pollution from power plants and other
sources, according to a letter obtained by Platts.

The power sector's approach is based on the notion that particles emitted
from power plants pose a lower health risk than do particles emitted from
other sources, especially diesel trucks.

The theory is frequently cited by groups such as the Electric Power
Research Institute and the Edison Electric Institute as a reason not to
require steep reductions in particle pollution from power plants.

In an April 13 letter, Donald Arbuckle, who runs the regulatory division
of the White House Office of Management and Budget, urged EPA Administrator
Stephen Johnson to "aggressively pursue" the theory "as one of [EPA's] highest
scientific priorities" as EPA reviews the adequacy of its fine-particle
standard.

EPA is under court order to review its particle-pollution standards to
ensure that they are based on the most up-to-date science.

Environmental and public health groups say the scientific evidence shows
that EPA must tighten the standards. Many of these groups concede that not all
types of particles are equally toxic, but they do not believe--as some
industry groups do--that some types of particles are benign.

EPA must complete its review of the particle standards by September 27.
The agency is expected to be sued whatever it does, as environmental groups
say the agency must tighten the standards, while industry groups say no
revision is warranted.

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