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Environmental Protection Agency Put on Notice of its Failure to Adopt Haze Cleanup Plans for 16 Western States
Contact: Jeremy Nichols (303) 573-4898 x 1303

WASHINGTON, DC —Today, a coalition of clear air advocates is acting to compel the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), and theU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fulfill their obligations to protectthe nation’s largest and most scenic national parks, wilderness areas, and wildlife refuges from unhealthful hazepollution that dirties the sky and drastically reduces visibility.

“Every year, millions ofvisitors to our national parks and wilderness areas are unable to see thepostcard views because they have been obscured by haze pollution,” said NPCAClean Air Counsel Stephanie Kodish. “More than 30 years ago Congress committedto restore clean, clear air to America’s most prized national parks andwilderness areas. But EPA has repeatedly escaped its duty to regulate pollutersby missing deadlines to develop and implement meaningful plans to reduce airpollution that makes people sick and skies look more like muddy water than thecrystal-clear views they once were.”

“Americans go to national parksto breathe clean air, not choke on soot and smog,” said Earthjustice AttorneyDavid Baron. “It’s time for the states and the EPA to clean up the air in parksand wilderness areas as required by the Clean Air Act. Leaving our mountainsand canyons buried under filthy haze is not an option.”

The first of the two legal actions thatare being filed today seeks to enforce EPA’s obligationto require national park polluters to clean up. The Clean Air Act requires EPAto finalize state plans to substantially reduce haze pollution in all protectednational parks, wilderness areas and wildlife refugees by January 15, 2011.But, EPA has failed to finalize a single state’s haze reduction plan, missingmore than 50 regulatory deadlines. This action is an effort to ensure EPAcomplies with the Clean Air Act’s Regional Haze program and move clean airplans forward after decades of delay. NPCA,Powder River Basin Resource Council, Montana Environmental Information Center, GrandCanyon Trust, Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund, WildEarth Guardians, SanJuan Citizens Alliance, Our Children’s Earth, and Plains Justice arecollaborating to bring this action.

In addition, NPCA, GrandCanyon Trust, Sierra Club, Dooda (NO) Desert Rock, To Nizhoni Ani, WildEarthGuardians, Northwest Environmental Defense Center, Washington WildlifeFederation, San Juan Citizens Alliance, and the Center for Biological Diversityhave joined to file an “unreasonable delay” lawsuit against DOI and DOA. Thelawsuit is in reaction to the failure by these agencies to find that pollutionfrom Navajo Generating Station in Page, Ariz., TransAlta/Centralia power plantin Centralia, Wash., and Four Corners Power Plant in Fruitland, NM devastateair quality in gems such as Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, Mount Rainierand Olympic National Parks in Washington, and Grand Canyon and Petrified ForestNational Parks in Arizona. These petitions ask DOI, and in the case of FourCorners DOA, to protect public lands by certifying that specific large, outdatedcoal-fired power plants are causing haze pollution in these nationaltreasures. To date, littleprogress has been achieved with the two agencies regarding a formalcertification of visibility impairment around these sites.

“Throughthe Regional Haze program, state and federal agencies have an unprecedentedopportunity to ensure healthier air and clearer scenic vistas by requiringaffordable and routine controlsthat reduce air pollution from industrial sources like coal-fired powerplants,” Kodish added. “The regional haze program was designed to reducepollution and restore pristine visibility to national parks and wildernessareas. The Federal government must swiftly act to enforce this program.

“Our Rocky Mountain highs areincreasingly under siege from haze, especially here in Colorado, yet it’s aproblem we can easily solve,” said Jeremy Nichols, Climate and Energy Program directorfor WildEarth Guardians. “With sensible plans to limit air pollution, wecan finally protect parks, people, and our cherished western landscape.”

“These actions simply ask EPAto follow-through with programs that will protect people from the dangerouslyharmful pollution that jeopardizes our health when coal is burned at powerplants,” added Bill Corcoran, Western Regional Director for the Sierra Club’sBeyond Coal campaign. “The samepollution that literally makes it difficult for people to see our pricelessnatural treasures also ends up in people’s lungs. This is both harmful and preventable and we urge the EPA toact quickly to solve this problem.”

“We can clear the air in ournation’s parks. In Colorado, a bipartisan coalition has already cometogether to find solutions for reducing dangerous haze in areas such as RockyMountain National Park,” said Environmental Defense Fund Attorney PamelaCampos. “It’s time to work together to clean up all of our nation’s mosttreasured areas.”

“Coal pollution is ruining vistas in southwesternNational Parks and poisoning waterways that people and wildlife depend on,”said Taylor McKinnon with the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s long pasttime to begin a new era of clean energy in the southwest—one that doesn’tinclude coal.”

These legal actions, while far-reaching and importantin impact, represent only a portion of the Clean Air Act’s provisions that haveyet to be fully implemented. In the coming months, EPA is expected to finalizenew regulations under the “good neighbor” provision of the act to reduceinterstate transport of pollution to states that are downwind, and stronger airquality standards for ozone. The agency is also expected to soon propose autility toxics rule that addresses mercury and other pollutants from coal andoil fired utility boilers. These actions complement the actions that are beingsought by these legal filings and represent a great opportunity for putting theright policies in place to clean the air, restore our national parks andimprove public health.

To see photos and additionalinformation on how regional haze impacts views in our parks and wildernesslands click here.

View the complaint here.

View the notice of intent sent to the EPA here.

View the notice sent by Earth Justice here.