An article in today's NYTimes traces air quality improvements in California and the growing threat of air pollution from the ports: California Air is Cleaner, But Troubles Remain.
Under the heading "The Cost of Cleaning Up" is a mention of the Clear Skies legislation and the EPA's Clean Air Interstate Rule:
Though Bob Wyman, a lifelong resident of Los Angeles, can remember when it was painful to breathe, he says government edicts on emissions, while "highly successful" in the past, could pose problems in more parlous economic times. Mr. Wyman, a lawyer who represents the Port of Long Beach and several goods-movement companies, says that because of the port's economic importance, regulation has to be leavened with market incentives to keep its costs down.
"We have to get this one right," he said, "so we need to be careful to select control strategies that can deliver air quality objectives at an affordable cost."
The Bush administration has sought to amend the Clean Air Act to give industry more flexibility while still reducing emissions over time. The measure is stalled in Congress, but changes in regulations this year could accomplish much of what the administration wants. They stretch out cleanup deadlines facing refineries, factories and power plants and adopt a market-based approach to cleaning the air by letting plants that exceed pollution limits buy "pollution allowances" from cleaner plants.
The changes are likely to have most impact east of the Mississippi River and a limited effect in California, largely because of the state's regulatory independence.
