[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 95 (Monday, July 15, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S6805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CLEARING THE AIR IN THE SMOKIES

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is 
truly the crown jewel of our national park system. With towering 
mountains, clear streams, and a diversity of wildlife, Tennessee is 
fortunate to have such a tremendous treasure in our own backyard. 
During the Senate's July break, I returned to the Smokies, to once 
again hike Mt. LeConte, this year with my oldest son, Harrison. Our 
hike up the Alum Cave trail was exhilirating, and we spent the night at 
LeConte Lodge, watching the sunset, and enjoying the hearty meals and 
good fellowship of fellow hikers.
  My trip to the Smokies this month had another purpose, too. This 
year, I invited EPA Administrator Christie Whitman to join me in order 
for her to see first-hand the air quality problem that plagues our 
beautiful park. Over the coming months, Congress and President Bush's 
Administration will analyze and pursue policies to improve our nation's 
air quality. As this process moves forward, I wanted to make sure that 
the President's top official responsible for protecting our environment 
heard directly from park officials and saw for herself the unique 
challenge facing the Smokies.
  As the first EPA Administrator to ever visit the park, Administrator 
Whitman demonstrated her personal commitment to address the pollution 
problem. We hiked to the park's highest point, Clingman's Dome, where 
Administrator Whitman looked out on a vista where natural visibility 
should be about 77 miles, but on the hot July day we visited, was 
reduced to only 15 miles. Air entering the southern Appalachians is 
trapped by geography and weather patterns, capturing pollution and 
harmful emissions in the park, and no where is that point made more 
clear than at Clingman's Dome.
  Any plan to clean up the air in the Great Smoky Mountains National 
Park must contain two essential elements. First, we must reduce harmful 
emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. President Bush has 
proposed a plan, the Clear Skies Initiative, that contains the most 
dramatic reductions in these harmful emissions ever proposed by an 
administration. The plan would reduce power plant emissions by 70 
percent by the year 2018. I will continue to closely study the Clear 
Skies Initiative and its potential impact on our mountains and across 
our state.
  Second, we must reduce emissions in the most efficient and effective 
manner possible. Our quality of life and future economic development 
depends on how we pursue these reductions. Tennessee's families, 
businesses and communities depend on affordable and reliable energy. A 
thoughtful and responsible approach to address the park's air quality 
issue requires us to closely examine any proposal and to ensure it is 
based on sound science. Tennesseans and all Americans deserve no less 
from their elected officials.
  It is also important to remember that air quality is a comprehensive 
problem that requires a comprehensive response. Roughly, one-half of 
the problems in the Smokies are caused by power plants, one third by 
cars and trucks, and the rest from various other sources. As we review 
solutions, we must address every source of emissions. For example, I 
want to commend local officials for Pigeon Forge's recent Clean Air 
Week which promoted reducing emissions through the use of low emissions 
public transportation. Park officials are looking at alternatives to 
transportation problems in the park, which will not only clean up the 
air, but enhance the overall visitor's experience. Continued discussion 
by all, local, State and federal officials along with concerned 
citizens, will ensure the most innovative, common-sense solutions and 
ensure we do what's right for the Smokies.
  Tennesseans are blessed with an abundance of natural resources, and 
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is world-renowned. However, we 
must be mindful that if we are to continue to enjoy the Smokies, all of 
us have a responsibility to be good stewards of the park. I am 
committed to fight for what is best for the Smokies, and I am 
encouraged by Administrator Whitman's recent visit. The Smokies are a 
unique American experience that must be preserved for generations to 
come, so that fathers and sons, just like Harrison and I, can know the 
joys of spending time together on a hike in the woods.

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