If the recent developments regarding the Bureau of Land Management’s decision to auction off 50,000 acres of land near national parks in Utah for oil drilling and exploration wasn’t enough, now the Environmental Protection Agency is planning on relaxing clean air rules near some of the America’s most treasured spaces.
Despite the fact that half of the EPA’s 10 regional administrators have formally declared their dissent for the decision, the agency is going ahead with completion of its new air quality rules that will make it easier to build coal-fired power plants, oil refineries and other major polluters near national parks and wilderness areas.
The proposed laws would change how pollution levels are measured near national parks. Currently pollution levels are assessed over three hour and 24 hour increments. This helps to capture emission spikes during peak energy demand. Under the new rules, levels would be averaged over the year meaning that increases in pollution would no longer violate the law.
In other words, it will be perfectly acceptable for pollution levels to increase near the places that we expect to remain pockets of clean air. Am I the only one that appreciates the first deep breath of air I take after entering a national park? I can’t say I would feel the same way about taking a big deep breath of coal smoke, polluted air. That thought makes me sick to my stomach.
