In the wake of the Trump administration's recent rollbacks to rules laid out in the Clean Air Act, Protect the Adirondacks hosted a conversation on the potential resurgence of acid rain.
The meeting began with Protect the Adirondacks Executive Director Claudia Braymer providing an overview of what acid rain is and efforts in the 1990s to revise the Clean Air Act to stop emissions that were causing acid rain.
“Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, those two air emissions primarily come from fossil fueled power plants. But those air pollutants also come from vehicle emissions. So, those two things are the main sources of these pollutants that are really causing the acid rain problem.”
The Environmental Protection Agency has announced plans to repeal regulations that reduce pollution from coal-fired power plants. The EPA is also rescinding vehicle emissions standards. Last month, the administration repealed carbon pollution standards for power plants as well as greenhouse gas emissions rules.
“The carbon emissions are not as directly impactful for acid rain. However, the problem is with respect to acid rain is that the new rollbacks extend the life of the existing fossil fuel power plants that are really the ones that create the most SO-2 and the NO-X, as those SO-2 and NO-X are not getting reduced further out of our ecosystem.”
As Assembly Point Water Quality Association Board Chair Lisa Adamson pondered how quickly the rollbacks could impact the Lake George and Adirondack region, Braymer chimed in to say she didn't believe it would be soon.
“Acid rain was such a huge issue at the end of the 20th Century that I can’t imagine there’s still not many of us out there that don’t want to see it come back. And I can’t quite tell how much of a threat it is. It sounds like we’re worried about the threat so we’ll protect the ...”
“I don’t think it’s an immediate threat,” Braymer interjects. “I think it’s something we need to keep an eye out and we need to watch. And we need to keep educating people on the importance of reducing those harmful pollutants.”
Assembly Point Water Quality Association Executive Director Lorraine Ruffing weighed in with Braymer on possible legal actions if acid rain makes a come back.
“What is Protect the Adirondacks going to do given the fact that all these power plants will be sending all these emissions our way. I mean, is there going to be any type of legal action?”
“There have been some organizations that have sued the federal administration,” Braymer replies. “These are national organizations. We typically do not sue the federal administration. I’m hoping that these other groups that are national groups will step up and sue EPA over these changes and it looks like some have already.”
Stuart Alan of Glen Lake feels that many of those dismantling regulations do not really comprehend the implications of their actions.
“I don’t think our politicians know how many of their constituents are concerned about this. So it’s easy for them to ignore. But I have good news. We do have pockets throughout the area where there is overall concern and awareness.”
Rosemary Pusateri is a member of the Cleverdale/Rockhurst Stewardship Group as well as the Lake George Land Conservancy’s Conservation Committee Advisory Board. She opined about further action the Trump administration might take.
“You know I’m trying to live through these four years and thinking well we’re almost halfway done. But can our planet live through this?”
The group also discussed the potential environmental impacts of transportation sector emissions rollbacks.
