Agency Experts Aghast: EPA Adjusts Air Quality Models

In April 2004, air quality modelers from nine EPA regional offices protested a policy change allowing states to select their own baseline years for measuring pollution in 'Class I' areas. This policy emerged from a compromise with North Dakota, which had been out of compliance with the Clean Air Act regarding Theodore Roosevelt National Park, hindering plans for new coal-fired power plants. EPA scientists argued the change 'artificially inflate[s]' baselines to mask policy changes and feared it would set a national precedent, as other states like Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming sought to follow suit.

• A 2004 EPA policy change allowed states to choose the baseline year for measuring air pollution increases in national parks and wilderness areas, which critics argue allows states to appear compliant with the Clean Air Act without actually reducing pollution.
• The policy change was a compromise with North Dakota officials to resolve a compliance issue at Theodore Roosevelt National Park that had blocked industry plans to construct new coal-fired power plants.
• EPA air quality modelers from nine regional offices protested the policy, stating it violated established federal regulations and guidance intended to protect air quality by using science to hide policy shifts.
• There were concerns that the North Dakota agreement would establish a national precedent, with officials indicating that Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming were interested in adopting similar measures.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2004). Agency Experts Aghast: EPA Adjusts Air Quality Models. https://www.ucs.org/resources/attacks-on-science/agency-experts-aghast-epa-adjusts-air-quality-models

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Agency Experts Aghast: EPA Adjusts Air Quality Models. 2004. https://www.ucs.org/resources/attacks-on-science/agency-experts-aghast-epa-adjusts-air-quality-models.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Agency Experts Aghast: EPA Adjusts Air Quality Models |date=8 April 2004 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/attacks-on-science/agency-experts-aghast-epa-adjusts-air-quality-models |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2004agency, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Agency Experts Aghast: EPA Adjusts Air Quality Models}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2004}, month = apr, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/attacks-on-science/agency-experts-aghast-epa-adjusts-air-quality-models}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }