A decade of acid rain controls
A U.S. EPA report shows that its Acid Rain Program continues to be successful.
The U.S. EPA quietly marked the anniversary of its acid rain reduction program in October, celebrating the 11th year of its successful implementation by releasing a progress report.
The 2005 data analysis showed emissions of SO2 and nitrogen oxides at about 5.5 million and 3 million tons below 1990 levels, respectively. Reducing both precursors to acid rain has improved the state of the environment as well as human health, EPA says.
“I think most people think it’s been quite successful,” says Charles Driscoll, an environmental engineer at Syracuse University. Soil issues from historic acid rain deposition continue to slow recovery in some regions, he notes.
The program is coming close to reaching its goals of 50% of 1980 emissions by 2010. Driscoll says that EPA is looking at this latest report as a transition between the market-based approach of the Acid Rain Program and the recently issued Clean Air Interstate Rule, which caps emissions.
