'Clear Skies' Bill Stalls in Senate

[quaoar]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20314-2005Mar9.html

However, EPA to Implement Similar Air Pollutions Rules by March 15

By Chris Baltimore
Reuters
Wednesday, March 9, 2005; 1:30 PM

A Bush administration plan to cut air pollution from coal-fired power plants failed to pass the Senate Environment Committee on Wednesday, a setback for a bill that critics said favors the utility industry over public health.

However, the Environmental Protection Agency faces a March 15 court deadline to issue its own rules, which will closely mirror the unsuccessful bill.

Senate panel chairman James Inhofe of Oklahoma, a Republican, delayed a vote by the committee three times in recent weeks as he tried to get one more vote for the "Clear Skies" legislation.

But the panel deadlocked 9-9, with Democrats, Rhode Island Republican Lincoln Chafee and independent Jim Jeffords of Vermont voting against the bill.

[TheFarseer]

1. Can't read the article

Does it cut air pollution from 100 parts per billion to 1000 part per billion or something like that? What's the catch?

[etherealtruth]

2. Slows the rate of pollution reduction...

"The bill would cut emissions of three harmful pollutants from 1,300 U.S. coal-fired power plants by 2016 through a cap-and-trade system.

Opponents said the plan would give utilities too much time to install costly pollution-reduction equipment and would fail to require cuts in heat-trapping greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide."

From the WP article, link in original post.

[TheFarseer]

4. Hmmmmm I can't really say I'm against that

As long as pollution is still going to go down I'm not going to get too foamy around the mouth.

[quaoar]

5. Leaving the existing Clean Air Act alone would result

in more rapid reduction of pollution, including emissions of highly toxic mercury. What this bill does is slow that process down.

[Eagle_Eye]

3. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee

has one of its members the Honorable Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Will we her from her about this continued trampling of the environment by the bush administration, or did she go along as part of her moving to the center for a presidential run?

[quaoar]

6. All 7 Democrats on the committee voted against it

And were joined by Republican John Chafee of RI and Jim Jeffords, I-VT.

[Eagle_Eye]

7. oops, I miss read the original post, my bad

[hatrack]

8. Good!

This POS bill deserves public evisceration.

[cascadiance]

9. Well, the skies will still not be clear of birds for a little longer...

Thank god!

[Blue_Tires]

10. Inhofe once said that

global warming is the biggest fraud ever perpetrated on the american public...

that folks, is the chairman of YOUR senate environmental works committee

[Supersedeas]

24. that about sums up Bush Supporters since of environmental accountability

[truthpusher]

11. Republicans unable to advance Bush's top environment measure

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2005/03/09/republicans_unable_to_advance_bushs_top_environment_measure/

Republicans unable to advance Bush's top environment measure
-------------------------------------------
By John Heilprin, Associated Press Writer | March 9, 2005
-------------------------------------------
WASHINGTON -- President Bush's top environmental priority -- giving power plants, factories and refineries more time to reduce their air pollution -- suffered a major setback Wednesday as a Republican-controlled committee rejected it in the Senate.

The Environment and Public Works Committee deadlocked on a 9-9 vote on Bush's "clear skies" bill, a name that Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., described as "akin to calling Frankenstein Tom Cruise."

(snip)

"It's a shame that the U.S. Congress is the last bastion of denial on climate change," said Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., who joined with Sen. James Jeffords, I-Vt., and seven Democrats in defeating the bill in committee.

complete story: http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2005/03/09/republicans_unable_to_advance_bushs_top_environment_measure/

[Tux]

12. Sucker

At least some Republicians are ready to protect the environment from Rapture nuts.

[EVDebs]

13. I want MORE MERCURY !!!!!!

[AlCzervik]

14. it's even hilarious to see Bush and envioment in the same story

[Deja Q]

15. Yet they won't do it to the bankruptcy bill. People can suffer, but

at least they can breathe. :eyes:

[snippy]

16. Bush had the EPA falsify its analysis of this.

GAO: EPA slanted mercury analysis to favor Bush plan

By Shankar Vedantam

The Washington Post

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) distorted the analysis of its controversial proposal to regulate mercury pollution from power plants, making it appear that the Bush administration's market-based approach was superior to a competing plan supported by environmentalists, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office said yesterday.

Rebuking the agency for a lack of "transparency," the report said the EPA had failed to document the toxic impact of mercury on brain development, learning disabilities and neurological disorders. The GAO urged that these problems be rectified before the EPA takes final action on the rule.

The analysis comes on the heels of a critical report by EPA's inspector general that suggested agency scientists had been pressured to back the approach preferred by industry.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002200219_epa08.html

A fairly minor crime for Bush, but a crime nonetheless. Republicans would have considered it to be an impeachable offense if Clinton had done it.

[quaoar]

21. The fact that they can come up with

an acceptable level of mercury demonstrates how truly morally bankrupt they are.

[kskiska]

17. WP: Senate Impasse Stops 'Blue Skies' Measure

Pollution Bill's Failure a Setback for Bush

President Bush's bid to rewrite federal air pollution laws ground to a halt in Congress yesterday when Republicans were unable to overcome objections in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that the bill would weaken the central pillars of the nation's environmental protection framework.

The setback is a body blow to the White House's prized plan and a victory for environmentalists who have long said that the "Clear Skies" bill is a euphemism for rolling back safeguards at the behest of industry.

The Environmental Protection Agency will issue new regulations today and next week to set limits on air pollutants, but the rules will not change the provisions in the Clean Air Act that would have been revised by Clear Skies.

(snip)

"This bill has been killed by the environmental extremists, who care more about continuing the litigation-friendly status quo and making a political statement about carbon dioxide than they do about reducing air pollution," said Chairman James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.).

Jeffords retorted: "This legislation denies plain scientific evidence of human health damage from toxic air pollution and of global warming from greenhouse gas emissions."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20314-2005Mar9.html

[Zuni]

18. I just did a little victory dance

I am so happy Bush was defeated here

[Divernan]

19. If he walks like a lame duck, and quacks like a lame duck. . .

First the social security privatization meltdown, and now his Clean (absolute height of hypocricy) Skies initiative. Seems that GOP congresspersons are more likely to listen to popular sentiment now that Bush is on the downslope of his office..

[Robbien]

20. The EPA is doing enough damage with its corporate friendly regulations

there is no need for this Clear as Mud Skies bill.

[Cocoa]

22. Cheney is rolling over in his grave

:bounce:

[Boswells_Johnson]

23. Leiberman will rally support for bill so that he can get back to the

business of bending over.