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Senate Bill 131
Clear Skies Act of 2005
S. 131 is the 2005 Senate 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.
The Clear Skies Act 2005 was introduced in the U.S. Senate on January 24, 2005 and is currently
being considered by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Sponsors
(Link to website:  )
Senator Inhofe, James M. (R-OK)
Senator Voinovich, George V. (R-OH)
Committee
U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
Update
A March 9, 2005 EPW vote on the Clear Skies Act resulted in a 9-9 tie.
The vote blocked the Act from going to the Senate floor.
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Senator Baucus' Statement on Clear Skies 2005
From Senator Baucus' opening statement at the February 2, 2005 Committee hearing:
I believe we have an opportunity to craft a bi-partisan bill in this Committee.
But, this is not a simple task. It will require difficult negotiations and a lot
of hard work. We have to listen to each other, rather than talking past each other.
We’ve held a lot of hearings, but we’ve had very little discussion about what was
said at those hearings.
I don’t think there’s a lot of disagreement over the basic principles in this debate.
Cleaner air and a healthier environment; greater certainty for business; more
efficient regulation; reduced costs of compliance. That’s our goal, to take what
we’ve learned from the implementation of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, and
craft a better program that reduces pollution and enhances our global competitiveness.
The question, of course, is how do we achieve this? Certainly, there is
a significant difference of opinion among members of this Committee as to what is the
best approach.
But, a difference of opinion doesn’t mean a good compromise is out of our reach.
It certainly doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t even try to find common ground. That’s
what we’re here for in this Committee. That’s what I want to see.
Senator Baucus' complete statement is available through the
U.S. Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works hearings page.
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