NH Is Part of Regional Plan to Curb CO2

Environmental officials from the 6 New England states, plus Delaware, New Jersey and New York make up the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or "Reggie".

The initiative got going last year, when New York Governor George Pataki invited the other states to create a regional approach to carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.

Joanne Morin is New Hampshire DES's liaison with RGGI.

She says the multi state approach begins to address compelling scientific evidence that greenhouse gasses have already caused climate change.
one of the examples they point to is maple syrup production. about 50 to 100 years ago, it was centered in pennsylvania. it moved to nh and now the center of maple syrup production is in canada. it has to do partly with land use changes as well. but also the highest producing trees seem to be further north.

RGGI is trying to develop a 'Cap and trade' system to control carbon dioxide.

'Cap and trade' is a market approach to pollution control.

It's already used for nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide, the chemical most responsible for acid rain.

Under RGGI's proposed system, a regional authority would establish maximum allowances for carbon dioxide emissions from each power plant.

A plant could then emit the pollutant up to the maximum.

If it uses cleaner technology, the plant could sell its rights to pollute to other plants in the region that are not as clean.
Bob Scott is the head of the Air Division at New Hampshire's Department of Environmental Services.

He says cap and trade has worked well for the other pollutants.

And he says that's why Reggie's members agreed to try the system for carbon dioxide.
it is unique in that its a non traditional pollutant, if you will, looking at carbon, but the mechanism is something we're familiar with, and have a lot of experience with, which is why we're looking at it.

New Hampshire already has a law that regulates carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.

And several other states have passed laws that aim to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles.

So far, these single state efforts have been the only attempts in the U.S. to control carbon dioxide.

RGGI's multi state effort is the first regional attempt to roll back emissions.

But RGGI officials say they'd prefer that the federal government set up a cap and trade system for the whole country, since most power plant pollution comes from beyond the 9 state RGGI region.

But John Millett at the Environmental Protection Agency says the Clean Air Aact doesn't allow the inclusion of carbon dioxide as a pollutant.
does epa or another federal agency have the authority to regulate carbon as we would another pollutant such as nitrogen, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, lead, those types of pollutants. carbon ...isn't considered a pollutant under our current legal framework from the clean air act.

Congress could change that fact by rewriting the law.

But President Bush has opposed including carbon reduction in the pollution control bill he called the "Clear Skies Initiative".

The White House argues reducing carbon would be too expensive, and thus harm the economy.

But RGGI officials think highly of the Kyoto protocols and the goal of reducing greenhouse gasses.

Bob Scott of New Hampshire DES.
clearly, the more states the more sources that reduce greenhouse gasses the better it is for not only the u.s. environment but the world. our feeling is we've got to start someplace and that's why this group has started.

The President's reluctance to set a carbon policy stands in stark contrast to the European Union.

There, a carbon cap and trade system is due to go into effect at the New Year.

RGGI states have discussed buying allowances from the EU after the multi state effort gets going.

Those discussions have rankled some members of Congress, who believe the nation's separation of powers preserves the right to authorize those purchases in Congress.

But Second District Republican Charles Bass says he isn't disturbed by the RGGI effort to start a cap and trade system.

In fact, he supports it.

Bass says he hopes the RGGI effort shows Congress and the President that national carbon dioxide reduction is a worthwhile goal.
well i'd like to think if this nine state initiative could get off the ground that it would show that its not going to adversely affect the economy, that there are benefits to society in clean air and secondly, at some point, we are going to have to control the output of carbon dioxide if we're going to maintain it has been, you know, for all time.....

RGGI's nine state effort is due to be complete by May 2005.

But before the system can go into effect, the ruling authorities in each state have to adopt identical legislation.

That process could take longer than the time laid out in RGGI's plans.

In the meantime, the Kyoto Protocol is due to take effect in February.