article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Acid Deposition and Ozone Control Act of 1997''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. (a) Findings.--Congress finds that-- (1)(A) reducing atmospheric nitrogen oxide will reduce acidic deposition, and the serious adverse effects of acidic deposition on public health, natural resources, building structures, and ecosystems; and (B) acidic deposition has been demonstrated to result in increased morbidity in fish and severe damage to water bodies and forest lands; (2)(A) reducing atmospheric nitrogen oxide will provide further benefits by decreasing ambient levels of tropospheric ozone, fine particulate matter, and regional haze associated with poor visibility; and (B) such conditions have been demonstrated to result in severe threats to public health, including lung irritation, increased incidence of asthma and bronchitis, and increased human morbidity; (3)(A) nitrogen deposition into affected watersheds can result in excessive nutrient enrichment leading to algal blooms and increased biological oxygen demand; and (B) such conditions can lead to increased morbidity in marine life and severe degradation of economic and recreational opportunities; (4) additional reductions in sulfur dioxide beyond levels currently required by the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) will result in decreases in acidic deposition, regional haze, and ambient levels of fine particulates; (5) the allowance trading program established in the Clean Air Act for the reduction of emissions of sulfur dioxide has been highly effective at creating cost-effective control measures; (6) the technology exists to inexpensively reduce sulfur dioxide emissions beyond the levels currently required by the Clean Air Act; (7) the ozone transport region established by the Clean Air Act to reduce long-range transport of ozone does not currently include all the States necessary to achieve the intended reduction; and (8) this Act shall support the Environmental Protection Agency's stated objective of controlling ground level ozone through regional controls, as developed by the Ozone Transport Assessment Group and referred to in the January 10, 1997, advanced notice of proposed rulemaking for State implementation plans under section 110(k)(5) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7410(k)(5)). (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are-- (1) to recognize the scientific evidence that emissions of nitrogen oxide present a substantial threat to public health and the environment; (2) to require reductions in the emission of nitrogen oxide; (3) to recognize that the means exist to cost-effectively reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide beyond the levels currently required by the Clean Air Act; (4) to require reductions in the emission of sulfur dioxide; (5) to recognize that tropospheric ozone is a regional problem; (6) to recognize that the single ozone transport region created by the Clean Air Act does not currently include all the States necessary to adequately address the problem of ozone; and (7) to amend the Clean Air Act to expand the membership in the ozone transport region by using the best currently available science to include those States that contribute to ozone levels in noncompliance areas within the current single ozone transport region. SEC. 3. CONTROL OF INTERSTATE OZONE AIR POLLUTION. (a) Additional States.--Section 184(a) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7511c(a)) is amended after the first sentence by inserting the following: ``The Administrator, using the best available science and models developed by the Ozone Transport Assessment Group, shall add any State to the single ozone transport region that contributed 4 parts per billion or more to ozone via aerial transport to the ozone level of any noncompliant area in the single ozone transport region for any 1 of the second through tenth worst ozone days that occurred during the previous 10 years.''. (b) Control Measures.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, any control measure adopted under section 184(a) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7511c(a)) before the date of enactment of this Act shall apply to any State added to the single ozone transport region under the second sentence of section 184(a) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7511c(a)) after the date of enactment of this Act. SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL NITROGEN OXIDE EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS. Section 184 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7511c) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(e) Additional Emissions Reductions.-- ``(1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Administrator shall promulgate regulations requiring reductions in the emissions of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide in any State added to the single ozone transport region under the second sentence of subsection (a) to \1/3\ of the 1990 levels by the year 2003. ``(2) Affected units.--The regulations shall apply to affected units, as defined under section 402. ``(3) Allowance program.--The Administrator may establish an allowance trading program to carry out this subsection. ``(4) Effect on other law.--This subsection shall not affect any law (including regulations) that requires a greater reduction in emissions of nitrogen oxide or sulfur dioxide than is required by this subsection.''.
summary: Acid Deposition and Ozone Control Act of 1997 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to add to the single ozone transport region (comprised of the States of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area including the District of Columbia) any State that contributed at least four parts per billion to ozone via aerial transport to the ozone level of any noncompliant area in the region for any one of the second through tenth worst ozone days that occurred during the previous ten years. Applies to any State so added, not later than 18 months after enactment of this Act, any control measure adopted under the ozone transport regions provisions. Requires the Administrator to promulgate regulations requiring nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide emissions reductions in any State added under this Act to one-third of 1990 levels by the year 2003.