Bush Administration Urged To Strengthen Interstate Air Pollution Rule

The Bush administration is facing 11th-hour pressure to strengthen its clean air interstate rule (CAIR) to curb utility sector pollution, with a prominent Senate Republican questioning whether it will protect the Great Smoky Mountains and environmentalists reiterating concerns that its emission reduction targets and deadlines are insufficiently stringent. Sources say EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt restated his personal commitment to moving the regulation forward during a meeting with several environmental groups this week. But Leavitt did not offer a precise timetable...