Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 24, 1990 TAG: 9005240463
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From The Associated Press and The New York Times
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
The bill, the first revamping of federal air pollution controls in 13 years, must be reconciled with a similar Senate version approved in April.
The final vote was 401-21.
All of Virginia's representatives supported the bill.
Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, predicted that by 1996, it will create from 1,500 to 9,000 new jobs in Virginia's coal-producing counties.
"The legislation . . . will simultaneously lessen sulfur dioxide emissions, providing an environmental benefit to Virginia and the nation, and dramatically increase the sale of Southwest Virginia's low-sulfur coal," a release from Boucher's office said.
He said the legislation will encourage utilities to meet the new sulfur dioxide emission standard by using more low-sulfur coal.
Before voting, lawmakers resolved several lingering items of dispute, passing provisions for a worker assistance program and new requirements on cleaner burning gasoline.
The bill, which by some estimates would cost industry $20 billion a year, would greatly strengthen the Clean Air Act of 1970, with broad new air quality standards, curbs on automobile emissions, requirements for the sale of cleaner burning fuels and a program to cut emissions that cause acid rain.
Despite earlier warnings that he would recommend a veto of amendments the House approved, John Sununu, the White House chief of staff, said he would urge Bush to support the package.
After a heated debate that focused on economics, the House rebuffed pressure from the White House and from industry, passing a measure that would provide $250 million in unemployment and retraining benefits for workers who lose their jobs because of the law.
It was not until late Wednesday night that agreement was reached on the last point of contention. That deal diluted a requirement co-authored by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., that automobile manufacturers produce 1 million "clean fuel" vehicles each year, beginning in the middle 1990s in the nation's most polluted cities.
Instead, the bill finally passed would establish a pilot program to test the idea in Southern California.
by CNB