NEWS & PUBLICATIONS

If we fail to act now the habitat, health, heritage, and horizons of our national parks could be severely impaired for future generations. There are several things decision-makers and concerned citizens can do to improve air quality in the national parks. Turning Point offers ten recommendations:

1. Finish the job of cleaning up outdated power plants Older coal-burning power plants are the leading park polluters. Current policies will leave half of the nearly 1,200 outdated plants without effective pollution control devices. Congress and the states should make all of these outdated plants install modern pollution controls for nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide.
2. Require new power plants to use the most effective pollution controls available The National Park Service, U.S. EPA, and the states have a legal duty to ensure that new power plants use the best available pollution controls and do not degrade park air quality. They must enforce the laws enacted by Congress to protect the national parks.

3. Protect wildlife by limiting the amount of air pollution deposited in the parks The Park Service and EPA should determine at what level air pollution begins to damage park wildlife, and should adopt policies to prevent pollution from reaching that level.

4. Ensure that legal limits on park air pollution are not exceeded States are obligated under the Clean Air Act to periodically measure air pollution levels in the parks to ensure they do not exceed limits set by Congress. Few states have ever done so. EPA must ensure that states do their part to keep park air pollution below legal limits.

5. Eliminate toxic “hot spots” by enacting stronger power plant mercury controls Current policies will allow many power plants to continue spewing large quantities of toxic mercury. Congress and the states should require maximum limits on toxic mercury pollution from each and every coal-fired power plant.

6. Address climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions Carbon dioxide is the main cause of climate change, but unlike other major pollutants that harm the parks, there is no limit to the amount that may be emitted into the atmosphere. Congress and the states should require meaningful reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, especially from the two largest emitters—coal-fired power plants and motor vehicles.

7. Expand programs to monitor and reduce air pollution in the parks The National Park Service has many innovative programs to monitor and reduce air pollution, but comprehensive monitoring exists in only a handful of parks. The Park Service should monitor all major pollutants at every park protected under the Clean Air Act. In addition, all parks should adopt the most effective in-park pollution reduction programs.

8. Promote clean, renewable domestic energy supplies We can meet America’s growing energy needs and still have clean and healthy parks. Congress and the states should adopt policies that maximize the use of clean and renewable energy for transportation and electricity generation.

9. Fully fund the National Park System The national parks lack the personnel and financial resources needed to protect park air quality and combat air pollution-related damages. The administration and Congress should eliminate the Park Service budget shortfall (more than $800 million per year) and ensure full funding the National Park System.

10. Act as concerned citizens to help clean the air in the parks As concerned citizens, we can all help improve park air quality by using energy more efficiently our homes and cars, and by minimizing our contribution to air pollution within the parks.