[cdn-nucl-l] Re: [MbrExchange] U.S. Senate Bill Would Cap Greenhouse Gas Emissions

[RuthWeiner@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/14/03 1:58:22 AM Mountain Standard Time, AtomicRod@aol.com writes:

> Normally the companies that have polluted the most in the past are rewarded for their history with the most free credits. 


I worked with EPA on the emissions tradeoff scheme for air pollutants, and this is not quite correct.  The initial idea was that if emitters were forced to cut back in order for a new emitter to come into an air basin and still not violate the standards, they could "sell" the clean air obtained this way to the newcomer.  In many communities (e.g., Tacoma, WA) there was one major emitter of a particular pollutant (sulfur dioxide, in this case).  So if a major emitter had to cut back the most, that emitter naturally generated the most credits.  But it wasn't deliberately done as you suggest.


Ruth.  

Ruth Weiner, Ph. D.
ruthweiner@aol.com