Sen. Jim Jeffords (I-VT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), has announced that he will postpone a hearing on legislation designed to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO2), and mercury from power plants. The hearing on S. 556, which had been scheduled for February 12, now will be held in late March. Sen. Jeffords said that he is making the schedule change in the hope that Democrats and Republicans on the EPW Committee can reach a bipartisan agreement on the so-called “four pollutant” legislation.
The Bush Administration is in the process of finalizing its own emissions-reduction legislation, but the bill will not address CO2 emissions. Sen. Jeffords has said that, while he is willing to work with the minority on the EPW committee to craft a consensus bill, he will not allow a vote unless it includes carbon dioxide controls.
