Court Rules for Clean Air

In Sierra Club vs. Environmental Protection Agency, the DC Circuit Court today struck down a Bush administration rule limiting states’ ability to enforce the Clean Air Act. The rule blocked states from issuing their own air monitoring requirements for soot, smog, mercury and other types of air pollution from power plants, factories and other stationary sources. As a result states were forced to abide by the lax federal standards, which required virtually no monitoring of dangerous air pollution.

In response the Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope issued the following statement.

"This is huge victory against one of the most egregious rollbacks of environmental protections in our nation’s history.

"As one of the first rollbacks of the Bush Administration, this rule helped set a pattern of limiting the application of environmental laws to benefit polluters and denying the public the right know about pollution in their communities.

"Public health should be a top priority, not polluters’ profits. Today’s decision will give states back the tools they need to hold polluters accountable and help ensure that everyone has clean, healthy air to breathe."

See the Source:
Sierra Club
Unite States Court of Appeals

air pollution
Clean Air Act

EPA Seeks Applications for Clean Air Excellence Awards

EPA and the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee (CAAAC) are accepting applications for the Ninth Annual Clean Air Excellence Awards Program.

Winners are honored for outstanding accomplishments in programs, projects or technologies that reduce air pollution emissions. Applicants are judged in five awards categories: (1) clean air technology; (2) community development/redevelopment; (3) education/outreach (4) regulatory/policy innovations; and (5) transportation efficiency innovations.

In addition, winners will be recognized in two special award categories. The Gregg Cooke Visionary Program Award is given to the air quality project or program that successfully blends two or more of the five existing awards categories. The Thomas W. Zosel Outstanding Individual Achievement Award recognizes one individual for his or her outstanding achievement, leadership, and commitment to promote clean air and achieve better air quality.

All applications for the awards should be postmarked on or before September 19, 2008. The awards will be announced in spring 2009.

The CAAAC is an independent policy committee that provides advice to EPA on air issues.

Information on applying for the awards: http://www.epa.gov/air/caaac/clean_award.html