[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 100 (Wednesday, June 30, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5690-S5691]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CLEAN AIR ACT AMENDMENTS OF 2010

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today I rise to discuss my support for the 
Clean Air Act Amendments of 2010 and how I plan to continue to work 
with the sponsors to improve the bill to meet health standards for 
Maryland and the States of the Northeast.
  First, I want to commend Senator Carper for his years of hard work 
and dedication to clean air policy issues. I know these issues are very 
near and dear to Senator Carper and his perseverance is admirable. I 
feel the same way about water quality protection in the Chesapeake Bay 
watershed. When this bill received a hearing in the Environment and 
Public Works Committee in March I expressed my support for the goals of 
the Clean Air Act Amendments of 2010 and what the bill aims to achieve. 
Because I believe this legislation is the right framework to protect 
public health, I have added my name as a cosponsor of this bill.
  The strong limits the legislation sets on mercury emissions is 
important. Air pollution, primarily from powerplants, is the main 
source of the mercury that contaminates the fisheries of the Chesapeake 
Bay Mid-Atlantic. We have fish consumption advisories throughout 
Maryland because of the high levels of mercury found in fish tissue.
  A large part of my motivation for restoring the Chesapeake Bay is to 
restore a healthy fishery for Maryland watermen to make a sound living 
on and for recreational anglers to enjoy. I am pleased with the effects 
this bill would have on the health of our fishery and the people who 
rely on healthy fish from a healthy bay.
  The cap on sulfur dioxide, SO2, levels in the Clean Air 
Act Amendments of

[[Page S5691]]

2010 is strong as well. SO2 is a harmful particulate that is 
a major component of acid rain which does serious damage to plants and 
trees. States in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast see the worst of acid 
rain's effects on our forests and croplands. EPA's acid rain program 
has yielded tremendous success and the SO2 reductions that 
the bill calls for would help us achieve greater SO2 
reductions.
  These important limits on two harmful air pollutants are very 
important measures to protect the public health and the environment.
  Nitrogen Oxide, NOX, is a dangerous air pollutant that 
contributes to haze, water nitrification, and ground level ozone during 
the summer months which is extremely dangerous to breathe particularly 
for people who suffer from respiratory diseases like asthma and 
emphysema. Maryland, and Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States struggle to 
achieve attainment of healthy air standards because of NOX 
emissions. The Federal Government must do what it can to help these 
States achieve healthy air through reductions in NOX.
  I am committed to working with Senators Carper and Alexander to make 
the bill achieve the goal of NOX reductions to protect the 
public health of citizens of all States including Maryland.
  Maryland's experience as a downwind State motivated the Maryland 
legislature and our Governor to take firm and decisive action to reduce 
mercury, SO2 and NOX emissions in the State by 
implementing the toughest powerplant emissions law on the east coast. 
The Healthy Air Act, enacted in July 2007, established an ambitious 
timetable of 3 years for Maryland's powerplants to meet a new set of 
robust clean air standards.
  Using 2002 as its emissions baseline, Maryland's Healthy Air Act has 
the State well on its way to reducing NOX emissions in 
Maryland by 75 percent by 2012, after already achieving an interim goal 
of 70 percent reduction target for NOX in 2009. 
SO2 emissions will be reduced by 80 percent this year with a 
second phase of controls in 2013 to achieve 85 percent SO2 
emission reductions. The Healthy Air Act also sets a 90 percent 
reduction in mercury by 2013.
  Maryland's powerplants quickly met this challenge by immediately 
installing and operating pollution emission reductions technologies. In 
less than 3 years Maryland's State electricity generators began 
achieving significant mercury, SO2 and NOX 
emissions reductions. The Maryland Department of Environment tells me 
that all of our power generators are either meeting or are on schedule 
to meet the near term targets of Maryland's Healthy Air Act.
  The Clean Air Act Amendments of 2010 supports Maryland's mercury and 
SO2 reductions goals. Because Maryland has taken positive 
steps to also reduce NOX emissions I must work to ensure 
that any national standard supports Maryland's healthy air attainment 
limits for NOX as well.
  Being a downwind State that must mitigate or offset pollution that 
travels in from other States has made it especially challenging for 
Maryland to be in attainment with the National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards, NAAQS, for ozone and fine particulate matter by the Federal 
deadline of 2010. Maryland is doing its part.
  I mention all of this so that my colleagues understand how important 
strong clean air requirements are to me and to Maryland. I support the 
goal of cleaner air and I think the approach the Clean Air Act 
Amendments of 2010 takes is correct. I very much want to save lives by 
cleaning up our air and I want to work with Senator Carper, Senator 
Alexander and the other sponsors of this bill to make it stronger. 
Specifically, I want to ensure that EPA will review its air quality 
standards. Should the agency's analysis of the ozone standard indicate 
that additional NOX emissions reductions are necessary to 
protect public health it is important that the EPA has a congressional 
mandate to act to strengthen the emission reduction requirement on 
NOX to address this public health threat.
  In a matter of days, EPA will issue its revised Clean Air Interstate 
Rule, CAIR, following the DC Circuit's determination that CAIR did not 
adequately address transport. Later this summer EPA will also propose 
new National Ambient Air Quality Standards. These landmark policies 
ought to guide what steps need to be taken to better protect public 
health and inform us about the congressional authority needed.

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