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First
a state, now a regional
approach is launched to fight
smog-causing ozone in the air
As
the House was considering the so-called clean smokestacks bill
to solve North Carolina’s smoggy-air problem by imposing
strict emissions controls on 14 coal-fired power plants, Gov.
Mike Easley was in Tennessee on Tuesday to sign an accord with
the governors of Georgia and Tennessee to foster a regional
approach to air quality.
"Pollution
does not respect state borders,” Easley said at the third
annual Governor's Summit on Mountain Air Quality. “In order
to realize our goals of clean air in North Carolina and the
Southeast, we must tackle pollution problems at a regional
level. Only through working together can we expect to have
long-term significant improvements in our air quality."
Easley,
Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist and Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes
signed the "Southern Air Principles," which directs
environmental chiefs in the three states to formulate a joint
strategy by March of next year. The summit was hosted by
Sundquist at Gatlinburg. Gov. Jim Hunt first committed North
Carolina to the regional compact three years ago.
The June 5 accord says "each state must do its part to
protect to improve air quality," but "regional air
quality problems must be addressed through regional approaches
that address each state's unique qualities and needs."
The agreement addresses several pollutant sources: nitrogen
oxides, sulfur dioxide and mercury from coal-fired power
plants, as well as transportation and energy policies. Read
the full text of the agreement signed by the three governors.
At the
governors’ meeting, Easley was quick to point out that North
Carolina has been doing its part to battle air pollution and
is considering imposing among the nation’s toughest
emissions standards. "In North Carolina, our legislature
is considering an innovative clean air bill that will protect
and enhance the quality of North Carolina air by requiring
significant reductions in the pollutants that cause ground
level ozone, acid rain and haze,” Easley said, referring to
the Senate passed bill now in the House, S.1078 Improve Air
Quality/Electric Utilities.
“It is cheaper to clean smokestacks than it is to clean
lungs.” Easley emphasized, then added that such far-reaching
state plans won’t work effectively unless neighboring states
do the same.
As Easley was speaking in Tennessee, the House Public
Utilities Committee was meeting to hear additional testimony
on the S. 1078, the clean smokestacks bill sponsored in the
Senate by Sen. Steve Metcalf (D-Buncombe). The committee has
met twice a week for the last three weeks to discuss the
proposed legislation, which would force CP&L and Duke
Power to spend some $2.2 billion over the next few years to
radically re-engineer their 14 coal-fired plants in North
Carolina – all of which are 30-40 years ago, to meet strict
new emissions standards.
While most groups support the cleaner-air goal of the
legislation, there’s controversy over who should pay for the
$2.2 billion for the upgrades – the utilities and their
shareholders or the public. The Senate legislation places the
burden squarely on the ratepayers. Complicating the issue is
that not all of the power produced at the plants is used here
in North Carolina. Like most utilities, CP&L and Duke buy
and sell power over the national grid, so there’s a question
about whether N.C. ratepayers should be paying to clean up
electricity sold in another state.
At its
meeting Tuesday to consider the bill, the House Utilities
Committee focused on the importance of a regional approach to
air pollution, which Gov. Easley was striking with Tennessee
and Georgia. Bill Ross, secretary of Environment, Health and
Natural Resources, testified that a regional approach is
essential, with each state taking steps to control air
pollution within its own borders as well as in surrounding
states. “This bill is an appropriate step for North Carolina
to take in doing its part,” Ross said.
Several
committee members stressed that it is important for the
Tennessee Valley Authority to take steps to address air
quality issues because of the pollution that wafts into North
Carolina from TVA power plants. A representative from TVA will
be asked to speak to the committee at its next meeting. The
clean smokestacks bill requires CP&L and Duke Power to cut
emissions of nitrogen oxide from 14 power plants 78 percent by
2009 and cut emissions of sulfur dioxide 73 percent by 2013.
NCCBI does not have a position on the legislation because the
association membership is split on the issue. NCCBI President
Phil Kirk and Vice President for Governmental Affairs Leslie
Bevacqua are prepared to testify regarding the different
perspectives of NCCBI members, including the concerns that
some North Carolina businesses would experience significant
increases in their power bills.
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