| WASHINGTON
- May 8 - The following is a statement
by Clean Air Trust naming Sen. Kent Conrad as "Clean Air Villian
of the Month":
Why would a United States senator interfere with active federal
investigations of air pollution violations by coal-burning electric
power producers?
That's the question we pose to the "Clean Air Villain of the
Month" for May 2002 -- Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND). Senator Conrad
has joined one of our previous "villains," Senator George Voinovich
(R-OH), in circulating a letter to his colleagues seeking to
pressure the Environmental Protection Agency to weaken clean-air
requirements for the electric power industry.
Specifically, the senators' letter asks EPA to change its "new
source review" rules to allow electric power producers to "avoid
the regulatory uncertainty currently facing the industry." The
letter adopts the rhetoric used by lobbyists for electric power
companies with close connections to the Republican Party. (see note)
You may wonder what sort of "regulatory uncertainty" is
involved. In fact, two North Dakota-based electric co-ops,
Basin Electric Power Cooperative and Minnkota Power Cooperative,
are under active federal investigation for possible violations
of new source review. At a minimum, this letter raises a question
of the appropriateness of a United States senator appearing
to interfere with an ongoing investigation of alleged illegal
acts by the co-ops. (Needless to say, a similar question should
be raised about Voinovich: the Justice Department has filed
lawsuits against several big Ohio power companies, including
American Electric Power, First Energy and Cinergy.)
Conrad's involvement appears to have been inspired by these
politically active cooperatives. Minnkota represented the
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association last fall when
Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT) convened a "stakeholders' meeting" to
examine so-called "multi-pollutant" legislation. As might be
expected for a company under active investigation for alleged
wrongdoing, Minnkota used the occasion to call for elimination of
new source review under a "cap and trade" system.
Basin Electric achieved some notoriety in a recent report that
noted it emits more of the heat-trapping gas carbon dioxide per
megawatt than any other electric power producer in the nation.
Basin Electric is also spearheading utility industry efforts to
weaken upcoming EPA standards for toxic air pollutants, including
mercury, from electric power plants. Basin Electric is among
those seeking to build new lignite-fired power plants in western
North Dakota. In his last election, Conrad was the leading Senate
recipient of PAC contributions by Basin Electric
To pave the way for the new energy projects, Basin Electric is
lobbying to convince North Dakota to carve out a new loophole that
would permit increased pollution that would harm the Theodore
Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. (Despite opposition from
EPA and the National Park Service, the state is seeking to change
the method of calculating emissions that affect the park. The
Basin Electric-backed state plan would permit more pollution. If
new source review were eliminated, entities such as Basin Electric
would no longer have to account for the impact of their emissions
on a national park or wilderness area.)
It is puzzling that Conrad -- who sharply criticized one of his
Democratic colleagues for supporting the Bush Administration's tax
cuts -- would provide cover for the administration's dirty-air
policies.
And there is some irony, of course, that a Democrat like Conrad
is doing the bidding of a co-op seeking to sully the only national
park named in honor of the ex-President most often cited by
Republicans for their environmental pedigree.
------
NOTE:
The language is almost verbatim that used by attorney Scott
Segal, who represents such major power companies as Southern Co.
and First Energy. Segal's colleague, former Montana Gov. Mark
Racicot, is chairman of the Republican National Committee. He
ceased active lobbying for the power companies only after his dual
role as lobbyist and political party chief sparked controversy.
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