SENATOR COLLINS LEADS CHARGE IN SENATE TO REDUCE FOUR MAJOR AIR POLLUTANTS THAT DIRTY MAINE’S AIR AND WATER

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senator James Jeffords (I-VT), headed a bipartisan group of Senators Wednesday in introducing tough legislation aimed at reducing four major air pollutants – mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide. The Clean Power Act would remove the loophole that has allowed the dirtiest, most polluting power plants in the nation to escape significant pollution controls for more than 30 years.

"Maine is tired of being at the end of the exhaust pipe," said Senator Susan Collins. "It is time to stop acid rain, free our lakes from mercury pollution, reduce global warming, and eliminate the smog that drifts in to obscure Maine skies. After causing some of the nation's worst pollution problems for decades on end, the time has finally come for power plants to stop using loopholes to evade emissions reductions."

The legislation aims to reduce electric power plant emissions of sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxides, mercury and carbon dioxide, which cause some of the nation's most serious public health and environmental problems. It does so by building on the success of the cap and trade system created in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990s. It also aims to close the loophole that allows Midwestern power plants to emit pollutants at greater levels than the law requires.

"The free ride for the nation's power plants is over, and for the state of Maine especially, we're not going to be the last stop for the smog and acid rain that's blown in from the Midwest's coal-fired power plants."

Senators Collins and Jeffords began collaborating on this bill more than two years ago. In the 107th Congress it was approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

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