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 HELP STOP THE BARTON AMENDMENT TO THE ENERGY BILL IN THE HOUSE
VOTE IS EITHER THURSDAY OR FRIDAY
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Either tomorrow or Friday there will be a vote in the House on a motion to
instruct Energy Conference conferees to STRIKE language that Joe Barton
(R-Dallas, TX) has inserted into the Energy Conference report. Bartons's
amendment will allow industry to pollute at higher levels for longer than
the current Clean Air Act authorizes by extending the statutory deadlines by
which metropolitan areas are required to achieve the national health-based
air quality safeguards for ozone smog.

CALLS TO MEMBERS OF HOUSE DELEGATION ARE NEEDED

ASK THEM TO VOTE *YES* ON THE "JOHNSON MOTION TO INSTRUCT."

Targeted House members are listed here, talking points follow.

IOWA:
Congressman Jim Leach
202-225-6576

Congressman Leonard Boswell
202-225-3806

Keep Harmful Clean Air Act Amendments Out of Energy Conference Report

.       Language in the Energy Conference report will allow industry to
pollute at higher levels for longer than the current Clean Air Act
authorizes by extending the statutory deadlines by which metropolitan areas
are required to achieve the national health-based air quality safeguards for
ozone smog.
.       The 1990 Clean Air Act, signed by the first President Bush,
classified cities as marginal, moderate, serious or severe based on the
severity of their ozone (smog) pollution problem.  Areas with higher
classifications were given more time to meet clean air standards, but also
had to adopt stronger anti-pollution measures. The clean air deadline for
moderate areas was 1996, for serious areas 1999 and for severe areas 2005.
.       When a city missed its clean air deadline, the Act required that it
be reclassified ("bumped up") to the next highest classification. For
example, if a serious area failed to meet the ozone health standard by 1999,
it was to be reclassified to severe. It would then be given until 2005 to
meet the standard, but would also have to adopt the stronger pollution
controls required for severe areas.
.       During the past several years EPA adopted an "extension" policy that
extended clean air deadlines for dirty areas without bumping them up to the
higher pollution categories that would require the adoption of more
protective ozone control measures to help address the adverse public health
impacts resulting from the additional delay. Three separate federal
appellate courts all ruled that EPA's "extension" policy violated the
language and purpose of the Clean Air Act.   In light of these rulings, EPA
abandoned the "extension" policy.  Rather than accepting the judgment of
EPA and the courts, however, Members of the Energy Conference are now
seeking to amend the Clean Air Act.
.       Approval of the current language would delay the adoption of
urgently needed antipollution measures in communities throughout the
country. Such a change in the current Clean Air Act would also make it
harder for other communities to meet clean air standards. Pollution from
cities that would delay cleanup often travels "downwind" for hundreds of
miles to other areas.  These areas will find it more difficult to
restore clean air.
.       Rollbacks in clean air protections are leading the nation in exactly
the wrong direction.   EPA estimates that 127 million Americans live in
areas of the country that violate minimum health safeguards for air
pollution.  The Energy Conference Report is not the forum to delay local
control measures needed to reduce harmful smog pollution, thereby
exacerbating local air quality and public health, and forestalling the
meaningful steps that will be necessary to attain the 1-hour and 8-hour
ozone health standards.

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