The Clean Air Challenge
Some of the most polluted air in the country is over national parks. We must strengthen, not weaken, the tools we have to clear the air.
BY HON. SEN. JAMES M. JEFFORDS (I-VT)
America is a nation of nature lovers. We are also in love with our power and electricity, our cars and mobility, and our traditional way of life. Therein lies a dilemma that needs to be solved and solved quickly.
The way we use our energy resources is significantly affecting natural systems. Inefficient fossil fuel combustion spews billions of tons of greenhouse gases and millions of tons of other air pollutants and toxics into the air every year. These waste products accumulate in the water and atmosphere, damaging wildlife and human health.
Power plant pollution causes about 30,000 premature deaths in America each year. An estimated 160 million people live in areas of the country where the air is unhealthy, and toxic tailpipe pollution in urban areas is creating significantly higher risks of cancer and developmental problems. Air pollution alerts during the summer have become a standard part of many urban weather reports. And, if global warming proceeds as scientists expect, weather will become increasingly more extreme and difficult to predict.
Long ago, the citizens of this great nation enacted legislation to set aside some of our most precious areas. They recognized the value of protecting historically significant sites and tracts of land before progress could swallow it up. National parks are revered, almost holy places where millions of people go annually to get away. Visitors find spots quiet enough to hear only their heartbeat and the wind or to see an eagle on the wing. The point of creating the National Park System was to conserve the scenery, natural and historic objects, and wildlife and to provide for the enjoyment of current and future generations.
Unfortunately, some of our wild and precious places have come under attack from a variety of angles—from oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and pollution that clouds the views at Grand Canyon to bleached coral reefs at Virgin Islands and rising sea levels along our shores.
Pollution made up of fine particulate matter clouds views in the Green Mountains of Vermont, the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and elsewhere across the nation. These pollutants come from industry and power plants, cars and trucks. They contribute to the acid rain that degrades forest and lake ecosystems in the Northeast and the Southeast. They also damage crops and lungs. A recent study indicates that ozone can actually induce asthma in healthy, exercising children, rather than just worsen it. Outdoor activities at camps and schools are often cancelled in the Northeast and elsewhere because of pollution alerts. Parents think twice before telling their kids to go outside and get some fresh air.
Some of America's most polluted air occurs in national parks—Big Bend in Texas, Acadia in Maine, Sequoia/Kings Canyon in California, Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, and Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee.
In fact, Great Smoky Mountains has the dubious distinction of being among the five most polluted parks in the country, according to a report released this fall by NPCA and two other environmental groups. During peak tourist season over the last four years, ozone levels at Great Smoky Mountains National Park violated federal health standards on more than 140 days, threatening human health, plant life, and the park's image as well as its prospects for tourism.
The same sources of pollutants that cause the ozone levels to soar are also adding to the human-enhanced greenhouse effect. With reasonable certainty, the National Academy of Sciences and many of the world's experts agree that an average global warming of three to ten degrees Fahrenheit is likely over the next 100 years, on top of the one degree shift that has taken place since the Industrial Revolution. This could raise sea levels by one to three feet, inundating low-lying areas all over the world. The academy attributes this warming primarily to human-made greenhouse gas emissions.
These changes may steadily cause more unpredictable and extreme weather events. Or, as the academy has also cautioned, the temperature shift could cause abrupt and catastrophic climate changes because of a corresponding change in ocean circulation. Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts, as we know it, may cease to exist, fragile alpine meadows are likely to face extreme stress, and the glaciers that made Glacier National Park famous will continue to dwindle.
So, what is the right response to air pollution and its impacts? Using and strengthening the tools we currently have under the Clean Air Act would be an easy first step. That means enforcing its New Source Review provisions, which require modified and new air pollution sources like power plants to use the best available control technology. That's particularly important near parks and refuges or other Class I areas. The Clean Air Act includes many other tools and authorities that can be used right now to protect the parks and our special places.
Initiating a new effort to dramatically reduce these pollutants is harder and more complicated. I, and 22 of my colleagues, have begun this effort by sponsoring the Clean Power Act of 2002. This legislation would significantly lower emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, and carbon dioxide by 2008.
Unfortunately, the administration's response to air pollution and global warming has been chilling at best. The administration has walked away from international negotiations on climate, insisting that voluntary actions are adequate. Enforcement of the Clean Air Act has been put on the back burner. New rules regarding New Source Review are being considered that would exempt thousands of sources from regulation. The president has proposed a bill that would take twice as long to clear the air as the Clean Power Act and would not lower the level of pollutants as quickly or address carbon dioxide. The administration's legislation would eliminate existing authorities that are important to protecting parks and local air quality. Finally, progress on implementing the new ozone and fine particulate matter has been sluggish.
We have made good progress in reducing air pollution since the first Earth Day 30 years ago. But, now that we know how big the threat really is, we need a new way of thinking. Going backwards, as the administration proposes, to a voluntary or incremental approach that imposes no control costs on industry or requires no real change in behavior just won't cut it. That leaves the kids, the hikers, and the outdoor enthusiasts to bear all the costs in reduced lung capacity and quality of life. That makes the many suffer so that polluters can enjoy short-term profits.
I want everyone's grandchildren to be able to say to their kids, "Go outside and get some fresh air," or "Let's take a trip to the park," and not worry about the health consequences or advisories. Unfortunately, that's not where this administration is taking us. Their path leads away from that kind of certainty and prudence.
Americans love a challenge. So, here it is. We have ten to 20 years to completely re-invent our energy, transportation, and community systems so that they are emissions-free. That's the timeframe some scientists say is necessary to avoid a doubling of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Clearly, major investments have to start now to meet that deadline. We can't afford to waste any time. Even with all of our technological skill and innovative spirit, can we tackle this?
We love our parks. We love our children. We love a challenge. We have no choice.
| Sen. James M. Jeffords chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. |
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