NationStates Jolt Archive


Pollution reduction in US

Mesatecala
20-08-2005, 04:17
Hmm..

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050820/ap_on_sc/epa_summer_smog

WASHINGTON - Ozone levels are falling in 19 Eastern states where smog has been a recurring problem in summer, helping improve air quality for a third of the nation's population, the Environmental Protection Agency says.

The improvement is due to fewer emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, which together undergo a chemical reaction in heat and sunlight that forms smog. Some of the major sources are motor vehicle exhaust, industrial plants, gas vapors and chemical solvents.

EPA said that the amount of nitrogen oxides emitted from power plants and other industrial sources in the 19 states had fallen to 593,000 tons in 2004, a nearly 50 percent drop from the 1.2 million tons emitted in 2000. That reduced summer ozone over the four years by 10 percent, EPA said.

EPA officials said further improvements should result from a new program the agency announced in March requiring states in the East, South and Midwest, plus the District of Columbia, to reduce power plant pollutants that form smog and soot and drift downwind.

States have until September 2006 to submit plans for achieving the pollution reductions. If they miss that deadline, the EPA has said that it would write the plans for them.

Under those regulations, by 2015, nitrogen oxides pollution in 30 states will have to be reduced by 1.9 million tons annually, or 61 percent below 2003 levels, EPA said. Sulfur dioxide pollution must drop by 5.4 million tons, a 57 percent reduction, the agency said.

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Just some good news I guess... I guess the US is doing its part to improve air quality (erhm without the kyoto BS).
Lotus Puppy
20-08-2005, 04:28
I was always divided by this issue. On the one hand, I believe it wrong for the government to dictate to anyone in such an oppressive manner. The nation was cleaning up beautifully before the EPA was created.
On the other hand, I think this is great. Private property needs to be protected. It is not right if undesirable pollutants from somewhere else are dumped onto a person's property. No one in his right mind tries to get asthma. So why should someone give it to them when they can't controll emissions. I wish we could regulate wind velocities and emission movements, but that ain't gonna happen.