Acid Rain Pollution Up 4 Percent in 2003

[RedEarth]

WASHINGTON - Emissions of sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain, rose 4 percent in 2003, but probably will not compromise long-term air quality goals, the government reported Wednesday.

Coal-fired power plants were the main source of the 10.6 million tons of sulfur dioxide. That total compared with 10.2 million tons in 2002 and reverted to the level from 2001.


Nonetheless, pollution from sulfur dioxide has dropped significantly over the past two decades, from 17.3 million tons in 1980 to 11.2 million tons in 2000, the year before President Bush (news - web sites) took office. The total is within striking distance of lawmakers' goal of cutting such emissions to 8.95 million tons by 2010 — about half of the amount from 1980.


The Environmental Protection Agency (news - web sites) released the information as part of an annual report required by Congress.


Agency chief Mike Leavitt and other EPA officials attributed the pollution increase last year to market trading, which is one aspect of the program to reduce acid rain. A power plant that has polluted more than it was allowed can buy credits from a plant that is under the limits of its allowable emissions.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=624&ncid=753&e=3&u=/ap/20040923/ap_on_sc/acid_rain

[hatrack]

1. Yes, SO2 is up by 400,000 tons, but it will have no effect long-term goals

Whatever.