Senator Inhofe welcomes report 
on New Source Review

WASHINGTON (08/07/06) -- Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Chairman of the Environment & Public Works Committee, has welcomed a report by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) National Research Council report (NRC) titled "New Source Review for Stationary Sources of Air Pollution." 

"The NRC study reveals that NSR is less effective at reducing power plant emissions and more costly on a ton for ton basis than President Bush's Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), and by extension, my Clear Skies legislation, effectively striping away a fundamental Democrat argument in the Clean Air debate," Senator Inhofe said. "This report shows that NSR obtains few reductions in emissions and adds little even when combined with a cap-and-trade approach. Moreover, it finds that reducing pollution through NSR is three times more costly than under cap-and-trade. 

"Democrats have delayed emissions reductions, saying that NSR streamlining would be a "roll back" of the Clean Air Act. This has thwarted legislative efforts to pass nationwide emission reductions to improve public health, forcing the Administration to issue the important, but far less comprehensive or protective CAIR rule. Regrettably, Democrats would have us rely on an NSR program that has been burdensome, confusing, contradictory, and counterproductive to clean air progress. 

"The NRC reports conclusions reveals that Democrat's long time opposition is solely political, and not for benefit of cleaning our nation's air. If our friends on the other side of the aisle are truly serious about improving the nation's air quality and cutting pollution from power plants, they should join us in supporting the Clear Skies Act instead of delaying reductions with political posturing."