Support Clean Air in America's Parks!
- Summertime visibility in Shenandoah National Park has been reduced from 80-90 miles to just 12 miles!
- Visitors to the Grand Canyon at times cannot see the opposite canyon walls due to haze, a by-product of fossil fuel combustion.
- High elevation spruce trees in the Great Smokey Mountains (see photo) have been damaged by acid rain, also a by-product of fossil fuel combustion.
In response to these and other air pollution problems throughout our National parks, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recently published a national park visibility protection rule. As expected, the fossil fuel industry is fighting to weaken this rule. And so, we need your help to support a strong, final rule requiring industrial polluters to reduce emissions that contribute to haze and unhealthy air in our national parks.
Please submit your public comment below by October 5, 2001 to make your voice heard! Only through massive amounts of public comments can we send a strong message to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in support of tougher standards and cleaner air over our parks!
RE: Proposed Guidelines for Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART)
Determinations Under the Regional Haze Regulations; Proposed Rule
Under your leadership, the Environmental Protection Agency has an historic opportunity to realize the vision of the 1977 amendments to the Clean Air Act, which acknowledged that pristine air quality and scenic vistas are highly valued features of national parks and wilderness areas, meriting the greatest protection under the Clean Air Act. The proposed national park visibility protection guidelines (or Best Available Retrofit Technology Rule) could mean major reductions in sulfur dioxide and particulate matter pollution - improving our national parks, wilderness areas, and our health. I commend the EPA for publishing this rule, and appreciate the opportunity to comment to ensure publication of the best possible final rule.
Many of our most popular national parks are affected by regional haze that threatens park resources and values, as well as the health of park visitors. In fact, the National Parks Conservation Association put two parks on its 2001 list of ten most endangered national parks precisely because of deteriorating air quality: Great Smoky Mountains and Big Bend National Parks. The scenic vistas that draw millions of visitors annually to these and many other beloved national parks are often shrouded in haze.
A strong, final B.A.R.T. rule - the best available - would result in major reductions in emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, the pollutants that contribute to regional haze. This has great potential for improving air quality in our national parks and our neighborhoods. President Bush has repeatedly spoken of his commitment to improve our National Park System. Publishing a strong, enforceable final B.A.R.T. rule is essential to the fulfillment of that commitment.
In conclusion, let me stress several points that I believe are necessary for a strong, final B.A.R.T. rule:
1. I support the participation of all states in the B.A.R.T. program.
2. The EPA must require the most effective pollution control technology that will get the job done. Best Available Retrofit Technology should be just that - the best.
3. I strongly support the presumption that sulfur dioxide can be controlled at a 90-95% level. Any proposal for lower controls is not good enough.
4. I believe that the Cap and Trade program option must ensure significantly improved visibility in our Class 1 areas.
Thank you for taking my comments into consideration. Our national parks deserve and demand the protection that strong B.A.R.T. requirements will provide.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
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