By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – Missouri's oldest power plants are releasing more pollution into the air than they did ten years ago according to a report released by an environmental advocacy group.
The Missouri Public Interest Research Group blames federal cap-and-trade rules that allow dirtier plants to borrow credits from cleaner plants.
Ellen Treimel, a field associate with Missouri PIRG, says an air pollution bill backed by President Bush will worsen the situation by doing away with the EPA's New Source Review.
"That's a program that's in place to make sure that even in areas where the power plants are borrowing the pollution credits they still have to meet certain air pollution standards," Treimel said.
A Senate Committee considered the president's air pollution legislation Wednesday.
Missouri PIRG has urged the Senators Kit Bond and Jim Talent to reject the plan.