The air rules will not help the Bay states meet their year 2000 goal for a 40 percent reduction in the amount of nitrogen entering the Bay because the EPA does not anticipate that pollution reductions to meet the new standards would be fully implemented until after the turn of the century. The Bay states are seeking to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus because the two nutrients spur algae blooms which cloud the water, blocking sunlight needed by Bay grasses that provide important food and habitat for fish, crabs, waterfowl and other species. When the algae die, they sink to the bottom and decompose in a way that depletes the water of oxygen needed by fish and other species. Although the air reductions may not help reach their nutrient goal, Bay Program officials in the past have said that such reductions could help maintain the reduced nitrogen levels once the goal is attained. But exactly how beneficial the new air initiatives will be for the Bay won't be known until more implementation details become available.
Ozone is only a problem during the summer.
In addition, most of the reductions being sought appear to come from power plants, but they account for only about a third of total NOx emissions. Another third comes from motor vehicles, and another third from a wide range of sources ranging from train locomotives to lawn mowers. Before they become reality, the air standards also face stiff opposition. Many industry leaders, who have waged a multimillion dollar campaign to defeat the standards, are urging Congress to vote to reject them. He maintained the rules will not significantly improve health protection.