EPA QUIETLY APPROVES MAJOR AIR QUALITY MODEL FOR NATIONAL PARK

EPA has approved with little fanfare a controversial procedure for modeling air quality near a North Dakota national park, setting what could be a nationwide precedent for allowing more industrial expansion near pristine wilderness areas. Environmentalists are likely to sue over the new modeling method, which has also sparked long-standing objections from EPA regions. EPA Assistant Administrator for Air & Radiation Jeffrey Holmstead sent a letter June 30 to the North Dakota Department of Health, offering the agency's initial approval...