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Clear Skies

Message from Former President George W. Bush

Information provided for informational purposes onlyNote: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
Unless otherwise noted, the data presented throughout this Web site reflect EPA’s 2003 modeling and analysis of the Clear Skies Act of 2003. Clear Skies legislation was intended to create a mandatory program that would dramatically reduce power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and mercury by setting a national cap on each pollutant. The Clear Skies bill was proposed in response to a growing need for an emission reduction plan that will protect human health and the environment while providing regulatory certainty to the industry. The proposed legislation for air regulation never moved out of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee in 2005 and was therefore never enacted.

Clear Skies will reduce air pollution from power plants by 70 percent -- the most significant step America has ever taken to address this problem -- while using a market-based system to keep electricity prices affordable for hardworking Americans.

- Former President George W. Bush

"Today [July 1, 2002], Environmental Protection Administrator Whitman released important new information about the unprecedented health and environmental benefits of the Clear Skies Act that I proposed in February. For the last several months, EPA has been working to generate new information about how Clear Skies will dramatically improve air quality in every region of the country. Clear Skies will bring Americans much cleaner air, and healthier forests, lakes, and estuaries. Many cities and towns will meet air quality standards for the first time in years. We will virtually eliminate the problem of acid rain, which affects so many lakes and forests in the Northeast. We also will dramatically reduce urban smog and nitrogen and mercury deposition. Clear Skies will reduce air pollution from power plants by 70 percent -- the most significant step America has ever taken to address this problem -- while using a market-based system to keep electricity prices affordable for hardworking Americans. Administrator Whitman and I look forward to working with Congress to strengthen the Clean Air Act through the passage of Clear Skies so we can improve air quality for all Americans."

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, available as a free download, to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more about PDF, and for a link to the free Acrobat Reader.

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