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Don Reuter (919) 715-4112
Date: December 23, 1999
DENR Restates Unwavering Commitment to Reducing Pollution from North Carolina Power Plants

(Editors: The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources is issuing the following statement in response to a call by the state's largest power companies for the N.C. Environmental Management Commission (EMC) to revoke the new health-based standard on ozone smog. Earlier this year, the EMC adopted a standard that lowered allowable levels of ozone to provide better public health protection. On December 2, the commission proposed new rules for reducing ozone-forming air pollution from power plants, as called for under Governor Jim Hunt's Clean Air Plan).

RALEIGH - "The state and the EMC have embraced the new ozone standard because it provides much-needed protection for the health of our children, asthmatics and the elderly, as well as all North Carolinians," said Bill Holman, secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. "We have been meeting with Duke and CP&L for over a year to identify the most cost-effective ways to achieve emission reductions. We are very disappointed that they are seeking to weaken our health-based ozone standard instead of trying to reduce emissions from their power plants."

"It is ironic that the utilities filed their petition for rulemaking the same week as President Clinton and EPA, with North Carolina's full support, announced much stricter emission standards for cars, trucks and gasoline. Clearly, we need to reduce the pollution created by both power plants and automobiles, as called for in Governor Hunt's plan, in order to protect the health and well-being of all our people."

NOTE: DENR plans to formally respond to Duke & CP&L's petition in January; The EMC is expected to vote at its meeting in February on sending the proposed rules requiring power plant emissions reductions to public hearing,

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