Air

Seven Northeast attorneys general (AGs) are urging President Bush to immediately order the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to remedy alleged clean air permit violations by installing pollution control equipment, arguing that only the president has the authority to require such actions now that the challenge to the government utility by EPA and the Department of Justice (DOJ) was lost in federal court and rejected for review by the Supreme Court.

The refining industry has suggested that Congress pass legislation either delaying implementation of EPA's stricter ozone standard or ensuring that regulators can take into account air quality benefits of other upcoming regulations when developing local pollution control plans, according to industry and congressional sources.

The industry proposal was developed in preparation for a scheduled House vote on stalled energy proposals, which was originally set for last week but at press time was delayed until June 15 because of memorial services for former President Ronald Reagan.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA), a branch of the Department of Energy, last week released a first-time analysis of a scaled-back version of the McCain-Lieberman climate change bill the senators prepared ahead of the failed vote on the measure last year. The report, prepared at the request of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), found the changes to the bill reduce near-term costs and add flexibility.

EPA's proposed approval of changes to Idaho's air quality strategy allowing farmers to burn grass fields after a harvest could make it more difficult for environmentalists to challenge the air quality impacts of these open burns, even though these groups argue the fires have major public health impacts. But environmental and public health groups are still pursuing other legal arguments to restrict crop burning in the state.