US groups say Calif. power bill would dirty air
Date: 24-May-01
Country: USA
The American Lung Association, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council and other members of the coalition urged House lawmakers to reject the proposed legislation.
The House Energy committee was scheduled to draft a final version of the bill on Thursday. The legislation would then go before the full House for debate, and would also need U.S. Senate approval.
Under the bill authored by Texas Rep. Joe Barton, a Republican, the governor of California could waive nitrogen oxide emissions limits at utilities for up to six months whenever an electricity emergency was declared in the state.
"The health and environmental laws that could be waived under this bill have been developed by Congress over 30 years," the groups said in a letter to all House members.
The legislation "sets a terrible precedent for this type of action in other states," the groups said. "While currently limited to California, once adopted, Congress would have little basis to deny extending this flawed provision to other states."
The bill includes other provisions to help California, including giving states the right to change Daylight Savings Time and promoting construction of more electricity transmission lines.
Democrats have unsuccessfully tried to add language to the bill that would cap runaway wholesale electricity prices in California and its western neighbors. That amendment was rejected earlier this month by a House Energy subcommittee, and was expected to be struck down again on Thursday by the full committee.
President George W. Bush and Republican lawmakers oppose price caps, contending they would discourage companies from bringing more electricity supplies into California. Democrats say the price controls would be a temporary measure to stave off blackouts this summer and give utilities a break from wholesale prices that are 10 times higher than one year ago.
