Dirty air in the parks

White House begins review of controversial EPA rule 5

With a new president-elect only days away, the Bush administration is racing to push through 11th-hour, polluter-friendly rules.

The Washington Post flagged some of the most egregious examples in a front-page story, Friday.

The latest to pop up is what the Bush EPA opaquely describes as the "increment modeling" rule. It is now under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Despite its inpenetrable name, this rule is highly controversial: It would make it easier for electric power plants and other big smokestack sources of air pollution to site near national parks and wilderness areas. It would do this by changing the way companies estimate the impact of their pollution on the parks and wilderness areas -- essentially pretending there would be less damage than would really occur.

This is an extremely duplicitous rule change. (How many people know what "increment modeling" means?)

It really ought to be called the "dirty air in the parks" rule.

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  1. human power Posted 4:12 pm
    31 Oct 2008

    Not the first timeI remember the Carter Administration promising to get the cars out of Yosemite Valley. The plan was to allow those with camping reservations to drive in once and out once and bring everyone else in by bus (and then train, once the tracks were relaid). Along came Reagan and then cheap oil and we now have local smog so bad in this once beautiful wonder that it brings tears to one's eyes, literally.
    Sadly, my generation of Americans cares more about being able to drive everywhere than keeping anyplace beautiful enough to warrant the trip; and our kids seem even lazier.

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  2. guade00 Posted 6:54 am
    01 Nov 2008

    Let us hope...that the Reagan era ends once and for all November 4.

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  3. Wolverine Posted 10:16 am
    01 Nov 2008

    The Way To Deal With ThisEnvironmental groups should sue to stop the proposed rules.  Then, when Obama gets into office and if he's is worth a crap, he'll settle the suit by retracting the rules.  End of story.

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  4. Tasermons Partner Posted 11:08 am
    01 Nov 2008

    Yep...Environmental groups should sue to stop the proposed rules.  Then, when Obama gets into office and if he's is worth a crap, he'll settle the suit by retracting the rules.  End of story.
    That's essentially the plan, yes.

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  5. GreenMom Posted 2:43 pm
    01 Nov 2008

    You can't sue a proposed ruleLegally, a rule has to be final before you can sue.
    If these rules are being proposed now, there's no way they'd be finalized until sometime well after January.  The best course would be to lobby the new Administration not to go final.  

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