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Region 1: EPA New England

Successful Acid Rain Program Model for Future Air Pollution Reductions

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

By Robert W. Varney
March 19, 2003

By the 1980s, the scientific evidence was conclusive: New England's highly acidic rain and snow was killing aquatic life in many of the region's lakes and streams. From fish eggs and crayfish to smallmouth bass and rainbow trout, sensitive species were disappearing as high-elevation lakes suffered from precipitation that was sometimes more acidic than vinegar. The region's forests were feeling the ill effects, too, as acidic deposition leached nutrients from forest soils, making trees more susceptible to drought, disease and extreme temperatures.

To address this problem, the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments created an acid rain program to substantially reduce pollutant emissions from coal-fired power plants. A new EPA report released in February shows that because of this successful program, acidic deposition has been substantially reduced across much of the United States, including New England.

In just over a decade, the acid rain program has met its emission reduction goals faster and at less cost than was ever thought possible. Spurred on by market-based incentives that encouraged early reductions, the nation's power plants cut their acid rain emissions by about 40 percent in the 1990s. This reduction has produced healthier ecosystems, especially in the Upper Midwest and Adirondacks, where one-quarter to one-third of lakes and streams that were previously affected by acid rain are no longer acidic.

Still, New England's lakes and streams have been slow to recover from damage caused by acid rain. The lack of improvement may be partly due to New England's unique soil chemistry which has not yet regained its ability to neutralize acidity. But it is also a clear indicator that bigger pollution reductions will be needed if these damaged water bodies are to have a chance at a full recovery.

New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut have already taken bold steps to go beyond the requirements of the acid rain program and substantially reduce emissions from their power plants. It's time for the rest of the nation to do the same.

President Bush, in his State of the Union Address, called on Congress to enact his Clear Skies Initiative which will dramatically reduce pollution from the nation's power plants. On Feb. 28, the Clear Skies Act of 2003 was introduced in the US House of Representatives and the US Senate. Modeled after the acid rain program, Clear Skies is a mandatory, market-based system that requires significant reductions in emissions of the primary components of acid rain – nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. The President's initiative will cut emissions of these two pollutants, as well as mercury, by an average of 70 percent over the next 15 years.

Environmental results are guaranteed because Congress would set national caps – limits – on the amount of the three pollutants that can be released into the air by power plants. Instead of hoping that air quality gains will emerge from the current complicated federal and state regulatory processes and the inevitable litigation, Clear Skies' emission standards for power plants would be crystal clear and enshrined in a federal statute.

In New England, Clear Skies would result in an additional 30 to 60 percent drop in nitrogen oxide deposition and an additional 20 to 30 percent reduction of sulfur dioxide deposition. Such reductions will not only bring improvements to our natural resources, but will also sharply reduce smog and fine particles which contribute to respiratory disease, aggravate asthma, and in some cases premature death.

The health benefits for people in New England under Clear Skies are significant. EPA estimates that Clear Skies will result in about 300 fewer cases of chronic bronchitis every year, 10,000 fewer asthma attacks and roughly 400 fewer hospital and emergency room visits. Even more importantly, Clear Skies could avoid as many as 12,000 premature deaths nationwide, 500 of them in New England.

No legislative proposal on the environment will please everyone. Some believe Clear Skies goes too far; others believe it does not go far enough. Honest debate, negotiation, and compromise are part of the legislative process. At the same time, we must be careful to avoid gridlock in Congress.

We owe it to our natural surroundings and our health to set more stringent emission caps on power plants. The acid rain program has been a critical first step and has proven itself to be a simple, effective, economically sound approach to improving air quality. Congress should build on this demonstrated success and enact power plant legislation which will restore health to our ecosystems while improving the quality of the air we breathe.

Robert W. Varney is regional administrator of EPA's New England Office in Boston.

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