Del., N.Y. officials oppose lifting Maine smog rules
Environmental protection agencies in New York and Delaware have submitted to federal regulators statements of opposition to a plan for Maine to lighten some smog standards established by a 13-state group in the Northeast.
The Portland Press Herald reported that the testimony will factor into federal regulators’ decision on the measure that state and industry officials in Maine say is hampering economic development, particularly for the state’s paper mills.
Officials in New York and Delaware argued that it remains important to have common standards across the 13 states in the regional group. Maine regulators argued that rolling back the regulations would not create higher levels of ozone emissions, but officials from the other states claimed that analysis is flawed. No other states submitted testimony regarding Maine’s plan.
The state proposal asks federal regulators to exempt Maine from portions of the federal Clean Air Act that govern ground-level ozone pollution. In the proposal, regulators from Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection argued that because all areas of the state now meet federal ozone standards and because Maine-generated pollution does not move downwind to other states, Maine should not be required to meet the restrictions on other states in the Northeast.
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments