EPA Could Extend Mercury Deadline To Stretch Clear Skies Debate

Despite widely-held assumptions to the contrary, EPA could delay its controversial mercury regulations on power plants beyond a March deadline negotiated with environmentalists, in the event the Bush administration and congressional Republicans want more time to debate Clear Skies legislation in 2005, legal experts say. The experts are pointing to a number of options EPA has, including renegotiating a legal deadline with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to issue the rule by March 15, or exploiting alleged weaknesses in...