[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
[July 29, 2002]
[Pages 1318-1319]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on Proposed Legislation To Implement the Clear Skies 
Initiative
July 29, 2002

    Today I am pleased to announce that Environmental Protection 
Administrator Whitman has submitted 
legislation to Congress to implement the Clear Skies Initiative I 
proposed in February. Since February, my administration has been working 
to develop legislation that meets our common commitment to cleaner air 
for all Americans. I also am pleased that Chairman Billy Tauzin and Chairman Joe Barton 
introduced this legislation in the House on Friday and that Senator Bob 
Smith will introduce it in the Senate today on 
behalf of the administration. Clear Skies will cut powerplant emissions 
by 70 percent--much further, faster, more certainly, and more cost-
effectively than current law.
    America has made significant progress over the last 30 years in our 
quest for cleaner air, and we have learned a lot about

[[Page 1319]]

what approaches work best. Now is the time to put those lessons to use. 
Building upon the success of our most effective clean air program, we 
have crafted a new ``Clean Air Act'' for the 21st century, one that will 
do more to clean up emissions from powerplants than ever before. In the 
next decade alone, Clear Skies will eliminate 35 million more tons of 
pollution than the current Clean Air Act, bringing cleaner air to 
millions of Americans. Clear Skies will also help save our forests, 
lakes, streams, and coastal waters from acid rain and nitrogen and 
mercury deposition. And Clear Skies will do this through the use of a 
market-based system that guarantees results while keeping electricity 
prices affordable for the American people. Administrator Whitman and I 
look forward to working with Congress to deliver the health and 
environmental benefits promised by passage of Clear Skies legislation.