New Jersey Revises Plan to Reduce Air Pollution

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it has approved a revised plan for New Jersey to reduce air pollution in the state, and in particular, a plan to reduce emissions that cross state lines, in accordance with the EPA's Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). The revised State Implementation Plan (SIP) allows New Jersey to devise its own plan to reduce levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides in order to clean up New Jersey skies.

Less than three years ago, New Jersey was cited for 13 counties that did not attain the EPA's minimum standards for fine particles and 21 counties that failed to meet minimum health-based standards for smog. For all states, the EPA monitors and develops regulations to ensure that air quality requirements are met; however, two states, New York and New Jersey are allowed to develop their own SIPs as long as they meet the federal minimum levels for healthy air. Every state must have the EPA approve their SIP and that plan is then enforced through federal mandates.

In a press release announcing New Jersey's approved plan, Alan J. Steinberg, Regional Administrator states that the "EPA has carefully examined New Jersey's plan to reduce air pollution and is satisfied that these changes are consistent with federal standards and will benefit the health of the state and its neighbors."

As per the Clean Air Interstate Rule, 28 states and the District of Columbia will achieve cleaner air and lower pollutant emissions through a cap and trade system, mostly targeting the power generation industry. The CAIR is part of the Bush Administration's Clear Skies legislation and is modeled on the Acid Rain Program, which is a cap and trade program for sulfur dioxide.

Cap and trade programs work on the premise that the EPA will establish emissions "allowances." The state will be able to allocate these allowances to certain industries and companies, which can then trade or sell the allowance. The EPA believes that the allowances will create financial incentives for industries to install pollution control equipment or develop their own controls on pollutant emissions. When a company or industry reduces their emissions, they will then have excess allowances, which they can then sell or trade to other more polluting industries. Overall, the Bush Administration believes that this will in turn reduce pollution, while not interfering with "the steady flow of affordable energy for American consumers and businesses." (EPA: CAIR website).

The CAIR falls under the umbrella of the Federal Clean Air Act, which sets national air quality standards. When the CAIR reaches it's full implementation at an unspecified future date, it will reduce SO2 emissions in the 28 eastern states to 2.5 million tons, or 73% below 2003 levels. By 2015, CAIR hopes to reduce nitrogen oxides (Nox) emissions to 1.3 million tons, or 61% below the 2003 levels in the region. These numbers are based on the cap and trade method of reducing emissions.

The Bush Administration is also using the CAIR model to develop the Clean Air Mercury Rule, which will work to reduce mercury pollution. Mercury emissions are mostly the result of coal-fired electricity generation.

Source: EPA