Air Pollution: Regional Approaches Are Needed to Protect Visibility in
National Parks and Wilderness Areas (Testimony, 04/29/94,
GAO/T-RCED-94-102).

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977 set a national goal of correcting
and preventing pollution that limits visibility in more than 150
national parks and wilderness areas.  Seventeen years later, however,
visitors to these areas are unable to enjoy spectacular views, such as
those at the Grand Canyon, because of interference from air pollution.
In view of the limited success of the Prevention of Significant
Deterioration program and other efforts in controlling air pollution and
in light of increasing scientific evidence that regional sources are
major contributors to impaired visibility, GAO believes that some type
of regional approach is needed to address the problem.  EPA has
indicated its intention to wait for more information before deciding
whether to issue regional haze regulations.  It is unclear, however,
when that information will be available given reductions in the number
of monitoring sites in the national parks and wilderness areas and the
fact that only one visibility transport commission has been established.
At the same time, the National Research Council and the Park Service
have both said that current scientific knowledge is adequate and control
technologies are available to take regulatory steps to improve
visibility.  Accordingly, GAO recommends that the EPA Administrator
begin developing a control strategy for overcoming visibility impairment
caused by regional sources.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  T-RCED-94-102
     TITLE:  Air Pollution: Regional Approaches Are Needed to Protect 
             Visibility in National Parks and Wilderness Areas
      DATE:  04/29/94
   SUBJECT:  Air pollution control
             National parks
             Environmental law
             Environmental monitoring
             Pollution monitoring
             Industrial facilities
             Industrial pollution
             Federal property management
             Wilderness areas
             Federal/state relations
IDENTIFIER:  EPA Prevention of Significant Deterioration Program
             Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)
             Shenandoah National Park (VA)
             Great Smoky Mountains National Park
             EPA Mohave Project
             
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