EPA’S PROPOSAL FOR FEDERAL IMPLEMENTATION PLANS TO REDUCE INTERSTATE TRANSPORT OF FINE PARTICULATE MATTER AND OZONE

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) supports the EPA's proposed Transport Rule to replace the judicially invalidated Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) but argues it should be strengthened to further reduce sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). CATF specifically advocates for the passage of S. 2995, the Clean Air Act Amendments of 2010 (CAAA of 2010), asserting it would deliver greater emissions reductions, save more lives, and provide more regulatory certainty than the Transport Rule alone. The testimony details the severe health and environmental impacts of power plant emissions, including premature death from fine particulate matter, acid rain damage to eastern ecosystems, and ozone-related crop losses.

• National sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants fell by 50 percent in five years, from 11 million tons in 2004 to 5.6 million tons in 2009, primarily due to New Source Review enforcement, state regulations, and compliance with the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR).
• The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) argues that the proposed Transport Rule is insufficient because it primarily maintains existing or planned reductions and would only require approximately 14 GW of additional scrubber capacity retrofits by 2014.
• CATF recommends a national power plant sulfur dioxide emissions cap of 1.5 million tons per year, asserting this level is a necessary precondition for biological recovery of ecosystems in the Northeastern U.S. by mid-century.
• The document states that ground-level ozone causes significant health issues in the eastern U.S., including an estimated 159,000 emergency room visits and 6.2 million asthma attacks each summer.
• Ozone smog is linked to substantial agricultural losses, with soybean yields in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio estimated to decrease by $198.6 million to $345.6 million annually.
• CATF's analysis indicates that the proposed Clean Air Act Amendments of 2010 (CAAA of 2010) would save 44,420 more lives through 2025 than the proposed Transport Rule.
• The CAAA of 2010 is projected to result in lower system costs, lower electricity prices, and lower natural gas prices through 2020 compared to the Transport Rule.
• The proposed Transport Rule utilizes a 'state budgets/limited trading' option to eliminate emissions that significantly contribute to downwind nonattainment, using new allowances separate from Title IV acid rain allowances.
• CATF opposes any 'deal' where Clean Air Act requirements for non-greenhouse gas pollutants (sulfur, nitrogen, or toxics) are scrapped in exchange for a power sector-only climate bill.

APA

Schneider, C. G. (2010). EPA’S PROPOSAL FOR FEDERAL IMPLEMENTATION PLANS TO REDUCE INTERSTATE TRANSPORT OF FINE PARTICULATE MATTER AND OZONE. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093327/20100722-EPWC_Testimony.pdf

Chicago

Schneider, Conrad G. EPA’S PROPOSAL FOR FEDERAL IMPLEMENTATION PLANS TO REDUCE INTERSTATE TRANSPORT OF FINE PARTICULATE MATTER AND OZONE. Clean Air Task Force, 2010. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093327/20100722-EPWC_Testimony.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Schneider |first1=Conrad G. |title=EPA’S PROPOSAL FOR FEDERAL IMPLEMENTATION PLANS TO REDUCE INTERSTATE TRANSPORT OF FINE PARTICULATE MATTER AND OZONE |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=22 July 2010 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093327/20100722-EPWC_Testimony.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{schneider2010epas, author = {Schneider, Conrad G.}, title = {{EPA’S PROPOSAL FOR FEDERAL IMPLEMENTATION PLANS TO REDUCE INTERSTATE TRANSPORT OF FINE PARTICULATE MATTER AND OZONE}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2010}, month = jul, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093327/20100722-EPWC_Testimony.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }