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House Bill 999
Clear Skies Act of 2003

H. 999 is the House version of President Bush's Clear Skies Act.  The bill would establish tonnage caps for nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide,and mercury.  Unlike the Clean Air Planning Act or the Clean Power Act, the Clear Skies Act would not address carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas implicated in climate change.

The Clear Skies Act makes extensive changes to the Clean Air Act as it applies to the electric generating sector.  The reduction targets and timing proposed by the Clear Skies Act are less stringent than those proposed by either the Clean Power Act or the Clean Air Planning Act.

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Representative Barton, Joe (R-TX-6)

Representative Tauzin, Billy (R-LA-3)

 

Representative Barton's statement on Clear Skies

From comments made at the introduction of Clear Skies:

I am pleased to introduce legislation reflecting the President’s Clear Skies Initiative, at his request.  President Bush has a strong commitment to environmental protection, and this bill will not only accelerate the already improving air quality of our nation, but begin key reforms to regulatory programs which have hindered progress and impeded technological innovation.

Neither energy nor air quality can be considered in a vacuum - they are inextricably intertwined.  This initiative provides a solid framework for merging these goals by dramatically reducing the amount of emissions from our nation’s power plants using a market-based approach.  By additionally seeking to replace the many conflicting federal environmental regulations currently in place with a clear and concise plan, we can reduce plant emissions by over 70%.

This bill serves as a starting point which will hopefully lead to passage of this or similar legislation over the next several years.  This is a first step, and an important one, but we have many more ahead of us.  Rome was not built in a day, nor were The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.  Also introduced by request, the final legislation resulted from a series of hearings, meetings, drafts and amendments formulated in a bipartisan process.  It is my expectation that we will follow a similar path.