Under Attack: Clean Air

America's Senate considers an amendment that would make it easier for polluters to pollute

Born in 1955 as the Air Pollution Control Act, the United States Clean Air Act has been the government's main tool in controlling air pollution on a national level.

The act aims to deal with the problems of acid rain, ozone depletion and greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).

Now, this cornerstone of America's environmental protection law is under attack.

Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, has introduced an amendment that would reduce the Clean Air Act's ability to regulate harmful pollutants, giving the country's biggest polluters more freedom to pollute.

The Washington Post reported recently that industry lobbyists have helped to craft the scheme.

"These lobbyists were high-level officials at EPA under former President Bush who were responsible for some of the worst environmental rollbacks of his administration," according to the American environmental law firm Earthjustice.

"The Supreme Court has already ruled that the EPA has the power to determine whether global warming pollutants are a danger to public health and welfare," said Kathy Kilmer of the Wilderness Society. "And now the agency is preparing to write rules that require the reduction of these harmful pollutants over time."

"The Murkowski amendment would limit the EPA from regulating global warming pollutants -- despite the risks these pollutants pose to public health."

The amendment will be considered for a vote when Congress returns on January 20.

GET INVOLVED

• Sign a Wilderness Society letter urging your senator to vote "no" on the Murkowski amendment
• Sign an Earthjustice letter urging your senator to oppose the amendment
  

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image: Dori