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WHITMAN SIGNS PROPOSAL TO IMPROVE VISIBILITY IN NATIONAL PARKS

Release Date: 06/22/2001
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Note to Correspondents

EPA Administrator Christie Whitman today signed a national park visibility protection proposal, widely known as the “BART” rule, containing no significant changes to its original proposal. The proposed rule provides guidelines for states and tribal air quality agencies to determine air pollution controls for a number of older, large power plants and other industrial facilities.

The BART rule (Best Available Retrofit Technology) rule was delayed until EPA completed an energy impact analysis required in a May 18 Executive Order directing all federal agencies to prepare an energy impact statement on any major regulatory action. EPA has determined that this proposal is not likely to have an adverse effect on supply, distribution or use of energy. Plans for signing the proposal were announced in an EPA press release May 29.

The proposal aims to clear the skies in the nation’s most treasured national parks and wilderness areas, such as the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, by helping states control haze-causing emissions from older power plants and industrial facilities. Specifically, BART amends EPA’s 1999 regional haze rule to guide states and tribal air quality agencies in deciding which facilities must install air pollution controls and the types of controls to be installed.

The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments required EPA to establish a rule to improve visibility in 156 national parks and wilderness areas. The Amendments also called on states to require these older plants to install best air pollution controls available.

The proposed amendments will appear soon in the Federal Register (with a 60-day public comment period), and can be accessed immediately at: www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/ramain.html

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