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United States · Bill · S

S. 57 (101st)

A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to control certain sources of sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen to reduce acid deposition, and for other purposes.

referredUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

25 January 1989

Last action

25 January 1989 · Introduced

Status

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Sponsors

Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA], Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA]

Subjects

Environment, Nitrogen

Source updated

14 January 2025

Environment · Nitrogen

Summary

National Acid Rain Control Act of 1989 - Title I: Acid Deposition Control and Assistance Program - Amends the Clean Air Act to require fossil fuel fired electric utility generating plants burning coal with excessive sulfur content to clean that coal prior to combustion. Requires such plants using flue gas desulfurization units to use adipic acid treatment. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), within 18 months after the enactment of this Act, to compute a State share for each of the 48 contiguous States of a 12,000,000 ton reduction in annual emissions of sulfur dioxide by the year 2000 below that of 1985. Sets forth a formula for determining State shares. Permits States to reallot shares among themselves if the required total reduction in annual emissions of sulfur dioxide is still achieved. Sets deadlines and procedures for submission and approval of State plans for such State shares. Requires the owner or operator of any fossil fuel fired facility which is a major but not new stationary source to comply with an emission limitation equivalent to an average of 1.0 pounds of sulfur dioxide per million Btu's of heat input on a rolling 30-day average, if its State has not submitted or implemented an approved plan. Requires such owners or operators to submit a compliance plan to the Administrator for approval. Establishes in the Treasury the Acid Deposition Control Fund to provide funding for emissions reductions from specified appropriations. Sets forth conditions and administrative provisions for such Fund. Imposes a fee on each kilowatt hour of electric energy generated by an electric utility in the contiguous States. Directs the Administrator to make grants and contracts to accelerate research for developing other advanced industrial processes to reduce levels of sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, including limestone injected multistaged burner (LIMB) technology. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1994. Title II: Control of Emissions of Oxides of Nitrogen - Directs the Administrator to revise nitrogen oxides emissions standards for electric utility steam generating units which burn bituminous or subbituminous coal. Sets maximum subbituminous emissions at 0.30 pounds per million Btu's and maximum bituminous coal emissions at 0.40 pounds per million Btu's, based on a 30-day rolling average. Requires the Administrator to promulgate emissions standards for new, large fossil fuel fired steam generating units. Establishes oxides of nitrogen emissions standards for light duty trucks after model year 1990. Title III: Motor Vehicle Fuel Conservation Act of 1989 - Motor Vehicle Fuel Conservation Act of 1989 - Amends the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act to make passenger automobiles for model years 1992 and thereafter subject to new average fuel economy standards under this Act. Includes the term "light truck" within the definitions of such Act and makes conforming amendments. Exempts manufacturers of fewer than 10,000 light trucks per year from average fuel economy standards. Applies testing and calculation procedures of average fuel economy for passenger automobiles to light trucks. Establishes new average fuel economy standards for passenger automobiles and light trucks to set graduated increases over economy achieved for model year 1988 for model years 1992 and thereafter. Authorizes manufacturers to apply to the Secretary of Transportation for modification of such standards. Prohibits the adjustment of such standard if such adjustment would increase or decrease such standard by an amount in excess of 0.5 miles per gallon. Requires the Secretary to report annually to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on any such adjustment. Alters the average fuel economy standards established by this Act for model years 1992 through 2002 for manufacturers of passenger automobiles and light trucks which achieved average fuel economies of 27.5 and 21 miles per gallon, respectively, for model year 1985. Directs the Secretary, upon determining that a manufacturer failed to meet the applicable average fuel economy standard, to require such manufacturer to pay a vehicle fuel conservation fee. Substitutes such fee for the current requirement of a civil penalty and makes conforming amendments. Requires 50 percent of each fee to be deposited in the Vehicle Fuel Conservation Fund. Allows the Fund to be used for grants for vehicle fuel conservation research and authorizes appropriations for such research. Establishes average fuel economy standards for all passenger automobiles and light trucks acquired by executive agencies after model year 1991. Provides that any manufacturer that offers for sale to an executive agency a fleet of such vehicles which achieves at least ten percent more fuel efficiency than a fleet of similarly sized vehicles shall have its bid reduced by two percent. Requires the Administrator to consult with the Secretary of Energy before establishing testing and calculation procedures for measuring average fuel economy for passenger automobiles and light trucks. Authorizes (current law requires) fuel economy tests to be conducted in conjunction with emissions tests under the Clean Air Act. Directs the Administrator to measure a sampling of production passenger automobiles for each model type and year during the first month of manufacture for sale. Requires the adjustment of average fuel economy standards when necessary. Requires manufacturers to reflect any changes in such standards on automobile labels not more than 90 days after such changes are available. Requires that Federal testing and calculation procedures be repeated over a period of years to monitor automobile performance in use to determine the extent of decline in fuel economy. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to report biennially to the President, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on such measurements and calculations. Directs the Administrator to update the booklet containing fuel economy data at least twice a year. Directs the Secretary of Energy to distribute at least 100 booklets each year to each dealer and additional numbers if requested. Directs the Secretary, within two years of enactment of this Act, to submit suggestions to the Congress for additional legislation to carry out the purposes of the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act. Requires the National Academy of Sciences to: (1) review the current state of research and development in passenger automobile and light truck fuel economy; (2) assess the potential for improving fuel efficiency and reducing energy consumption of such vehicles; and (3) report to the Congress on such review and recommend research priorities that could result in improvements in commercialization through the next century. Directs the Secretary of Transportation, no later than FY 1994, to develop and adopt post-2000 vehicle energy efficiency standards. Requires the Secretary to evaluate the economic justification for such standards and directs the Attorney General to determine the impact of any lessening of competition likely to result from such standards. Amends gas guzzler tax provisions of the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) revise the fuel economy standards used to determine the tax for automobile model years 1988 and later; and (2) increase the tax rate with respect to these same model years. Revises the definition of "model type" for purposes of these provisions. Allows tax credits for the purchase of fuel efficient passenger vehicles for model years 1992 through 2000. Title IV: Acid Deposition Damage Mitigation Program - Establishes a grants program for States with Administrator-approved plans for mitigating water quality damage caused by acid deposition. Limits such grants to 80 percent of State-expended funds for mitigation. Apportions funds among the States upon the basis of need.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

  1. 25 January 1989

    Introduced

    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

    Source: IntroReferral

  2. 25 January 1989

    Introduced

    Introduced in Senate

    Source: IntroReferral

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Introduced in Senate (text)

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  • Introduced in Senate (text)

    Introduced in Senate · EN

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  • Introduced in Senate

    summary · EN · 25 January 1989

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Sources

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