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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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EPA to Loosen Clean-Air Rules in National Parks

Bush moves to allow coal-fired plants nearer US land preserves

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(Newser) – Polluting facilities like coal-fired power plants could soon be allowed to operate closer to national parks, according to documents obtained by the Washington Post. Rules being finalized by the EPA—against strong objections from several officials—will weaken Clean Air Act protections by averaging out emission counts over a year, meaning pollution spikes at peak times will soon be legal.

EPA regional administrators close to parks already plagued by poor visibility have lodged protests, but the rules may be changed as early as the week. The Bush administration is aiming to "sacrifice our national parks" in its commitment to coal, charged the director of clean-air programs for the National Parks Conservation Association. He plans to file a petition to make it easier for the Obama administration to reverse the change.

This photo released by the California Travel and Tourism Commission shows the Merced River in California's Yosemite National Park last year.
This photo released by the California Travel and Tourism Commission shows the Merced River in California's Yosemite National Park last year.   (AP Photo/Jim Kellett, California Travel and Tourism Commission)
A double rainbow forms at Hopi Point after a rain shower at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.
A double rainbow forms at Hopi Point after a rain shower at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.   (AP Photo/Jim McKnight )
Opponents of the EPA's plans say loosening standards will mean spectacular vistas like the Grand Canyon will be obscured by haze more often.
Opponents of the EPA's plans say loosening standards will mean spectacular vistas like the Grand Canyon will be obscured by haze more often.   (©jbarreiros)
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The administration's staunch commitment to coal is so deep that they're willing to sacrifice our national parks on the way out the door. - Mark Wenzler, director of clean-air programs for the National Parks Conservation Association,

The approach that's being proposed is going to underestimate the emissions, both for power plants that are out there now and for the ones that are proposed. - Don Shepherd, an environmental engineer at the National Park Service's air resources division

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