STUDY ON '03 BLACKOUT MAY PROMPT SCRUTINY OF EPA AIR MODELS

A soon-to-be-published study by the University of Maryland on the short-term air quality benefits resulting from last year's massive blackout along the East Coast may force regulators to reexamine the methods used for predicting emission reductions from environmental regulations. The study found air improvements following the blackout were greater than experts might have expected based upon the current understanding of the relative contribution of power plant emissions to air quality problems. While a source involved with the study says more...