SENATE PANEL INTENDS TO REPORT CLEAN AIR BILL BY EARLY SPRING

Oct 13, 2026

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee chairman Robert Stafford projects reporting Clean Air Act legislation to the full Senate by early March, with hearings next year focused mainly on acid rain. Environmentalists press for immediate acid-precipitation controls and stronger regulation of hazardous air pollutants, citing the need to overhaul Clean Air Act enforcement. Advocates support a 12-million ton sulfur dioxide reduction across 31 eastern states and highlight toxic air pollution oversight failures and calls for decisive EPA action.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Senate panel timetable

Acid rain and hazardous air pollutants

Proposed emissions reductions and EPA regulation

Vol.21 No.45 *Stafford Predicts Clean Air Billout of Committee in March...... . ..Page 442 *Caucus Proposes New Acid Rain Bill in Effort To Revive Debate.. .Page 442 *Clean Air Coalition Blasts EPA for SO₂Emissions Relaxation... .Page 443 Ruckelshaus Defends FDF as 'Safety Valve'..... .Page 443 *Mrazek Introduces Wetlands Protection Bill................. ...Page 444 SLANTS &TRENDS IT'S ALL WET.That's the general reaction of many in the House to the latest acid precipitation bill,introduced last week by 24 congressmen from New England.See story,p.442.The bill,which calls for a12-million ton SO2 reduction in 31 eastern states,is viewed with alarm even by some supporters of acid raincontrols,who fear that its introduction may still further divide the country.The New Englanders say theytendered the proposal in an effort to rekindle interest in legislation. *率 BUT WHO PAYS?Maryland and Virginia Govs.Harry Hughes and Charles Robb,respectively,came to townlast week to pitch for more federal aid for the Chesapeake Bay cleanup.EPA Deputy Water AA RebeccaHanmer,while very supportive of cleanup goals,threw the ball right back.The states and localities nowhave the primary responsibility for planning and implementation,with EPA relegated to an oversight,moni-toring,technical assistance role,she noted.EPA does not support Rep.Ron Dyson's (D.-Md.)bill to provide$10 million in federal matching grants for the next four years.EPA's activities in the cleanup can be handledthrough the Clean Water Act,Hanmer said.“Grossly inconsistent,"Dyson retorted."If they can do itthrough [CWA],why hasn't it been done already?” PROTOTYPE FOR FUTURE WATER PROGRAMS is how Hanmer views the Chesapeake Bay program.Shenoted that EPA and the two states have already begun a pilot program to test this federalism philosophy.EPA believes that post-BAT toxic-control measures based primarily on effluent and instream monitoring,second-round NPDES permits and pretreatment are the way to go.EPA also expects to provide technicalassistance to help states on nonpoint control.While the states are busy with implementation,EPA will settleinto a "broader concern about how to direct programs to get the results needed,"Hanmer said.Chesapeakecleanup,nevertheless,has a very high priority within the agency,she reaffirmed. ACID RAIN SURVEY OF SCIENTISTS,released by the National Wildlife Federation last week,found mas-sive support among the experts for some action now to control SO2 emissions even if all the study resultsaren't in.However,on NOx,the vote went the other way,with the majority of the scientists preferring notto set controls until more evidence is in.Two-thirds favored a 10-to 12-million ton SO2 reduction in 31eastern states,matched by similar cutbacks in eastern Canada.An approach that would protect all sensitiveareas in the East,as opposed to a strategy targeted only to heavily impacted areas,won the nod by a three-to-one margin.Announcing the results,NWF Executive Vice President Jay Hair contended that the environ-mentalists have become "disappointed and frustrated”with the administration's continuing to hold any con-control program in a countdown on the launching pad.His organization will concentrate its efforts on Con-gress next year,he said. A GROUNDWATER POLICY OF SORTS is making its way through the halls of EPA.It appears likely thatany policy finally accepted will be based on an aquifer classification system,with different degrees of pro-tection set for each type of aquifer.Ruckelshaus remains reluctant to establish a national policy. # SENATE PANEL INTENDS TO REPORTCLEAN AIR BILLBY EARLY SPRING NEW ENGLAND CAUCUS PROPOSAL ON ACID RAINDRAWS IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENTALIST SUPPORT AIR/WATER pollution report Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair-man Robert Stafford(R.-Vt.)last week said he expectsto report Clean Air Act legislation to the full Senate by the first of Marc

FAQs

When does the Senate panel expect to report the Clean Air Bill?

The committee chairman expects to report the Clean Air Act legislation to the full Senate by the first of March.

What do environmentalists emphasize during the hearings?

Environmentalists stress the need for immediate acid precipitation controls and better regulation of hazardous air pollutants.

What emissions reduction approach is advocated in the text?

The text advocates a 12-million ton reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions across 31 eastern states, financed through a national program.

Oct 13, 2026

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