Environmental Defense Welcomes Senate Action On Power Plant Pollution

(18 October, 2002 - Washington)  Citing its positive impact in moving the legislative process forward, Environmental Defense today praised Senator Thomas Carper (D-DE) for introducing a bill that would cut and/or cap four major pollutants from power plants: sulfur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), mercury and carbon dioxide (CO₂).

“While we will be pressing Senator Carper for major changes before we can support his bill, this glass is definitely more than half full,” said Environmental Defense senior attorney Joseph Goffman. “The bill’s aggressive sulfur dioxide reduction mandate and its mandatory cap on the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide prove that its sponsors are serious about protecting public health, acid-rain-sensitive ecosystems and the climate.”

“By assembling a group of sponsors from different regions that reflects the diversity of the U.S. energy economy, Senator Carper has shown a path toward winning the political battle to enact meaningful multi-pollutant legislation.  This approach can jump-start efforts to control power plant pollution in the next Congress,” said Elizabeth Thompson, Environmental Defense legislative director.

“By including a net cap on emissions of SO2, NOx and CO₂ - and embracing emissions trading - this bill has the potential to create a market for pollution clean-up that will produce superior environmental results and real cost savings,” said Goffman.  “For that potential to be tapped, however, we will be working for significant changes in the bill’s language amending the Clean Air Act, a much more ambitious carbon dioxide emissions reduction target and legislative language specific enough to guarantee the environmental integrity of the carbon dioxide emissions credit trading system.”