With the Clean Air Rules of 2004, we
are opening a new chapter in our 35-year commitment to cleaning the
air.
- Administrator Mike Leavitt
|
The Clean Air Rules are a suite of actions that will dramatically improve
America's air quality. Three of the rules specifically address the transport
of pollution across state borders (the Interstate Clean Air Rule, Mercury
Clean Air Rule and Nonroad Clean Air Rule). These rules provide national
tools to achieve significant improvement in air quality and the associated
benefits of improved health, longevity and quality of life for all Americans.
Taken together, they will make the next 15 years one of the most productive
periods of air quality improvement in America's history.
The Clean Air Rules of 2004 encompass the following major rules:
Interstate Air
Rule
The Clean Air Interstate Rule (proposed as the Interstate Air Quality Rule)
provides states with a solution to the problem of power plant pollution
that drifts from one state to another. The rule uses a cap and trade system
to reduce the target pollutants by 70%.
Mercury Rule
The Clean Air Mercury Rule (proposed as the Utility Mercury Reductions
Rule) will regulate mercury from power plants – the largest domestic
source of mercury emissions. This is the first time power-plant mercury
emissions will be regulated.
Nonroad Diesel Rule
The Clean Air Nonroad Diesel Rule will change the way diesel engines
function to remove emissions and the way diesel fuel is refined
to remove sulfur.The black puff of smoke you see coming from construction
and other nonroad diesel equipment will be gone forever. The Rule
is one of EPA's Clean
Diesel Programs, which together will result in the most dramatic
improvement in air quality since the catalytic converter was first
introduced a quarter century ago.
Ozone Rules
The Clean Air Ozone Rules (dealing with 8-hour ground-level ozone designation
and implementation) will designate those areas whose air does not meet
the health-based standards for ground-level ozone. The ozone rules will
classify the seriousness of the problem and require states to submit plans
for reducing the levels of ozone in areas where the ozone standards are
not met.
Fine Particle Rules
The Clean Air Fine Particle Rules (dealing with PM 2.5 designations
and implementation) will designate those areas whose air does not meet
the health-based standards for fine-particulate pollution. This will require
states to submit plans for reducing the levels of particulate pollution
in areas where the fine-particle standards are not met.
Related Documents
|
