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S. 321 · 100th CongressIn committee

Acid Deposition Control Act of 1987

Latest action. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered favorably reported an original bill (S. 1894) in lieu of this measure. · October 22, 1987

Live record from Congress.gov, updated as the official record changes.
What this bill would do
Official summary · Congressional Research Service

Acid Deposition Control Act of 1987 - Amends the Clean Air Act to establish an interstate transport and acid precursor reduction program. Requires by 1996 a reduction below 1980 levels in annual emissions of sulfur dioxide of 12,000,000 tons and of oxides of nitrogen of 4,000,000 tons. Requires each State to achieve by 1996 an annual Statewide average emissions rate of 0.9 pounds per million British thermal units (Btus) for sulfur dioxide and 0.6 pounds per million Btu's for oxides of nitrogen for all major stationary sources in operation in 1980. Requires each State to adopt, within two years, enforceable measures for reductions from these and other stationary sources sufficient to meet its share of the overall required national reduction. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve such measures if certain conditions are met. Requires owners and operators of stationary sources to certify to the State within three years the chosen means of compliance. Requires noncertified sources and sources using fuel substitution to be in compliance within five years. Requires certified sources to enter into binding contracts within five years for the installation and implementation of energy conservation measures. Requires all covered stationary sources to be in compliance by 1996. Prohibits the increase of emissions from a source unless a simultaneous net reduction in emissions in excess of the increase is occurring. Establishes a 0.9 pounds per million Btus emissions rate for sulfur dioxide for fossil fuel fired steam generating units which are major stationary sources of emissions in a State without enforceable measures. Requires compliance for all covered units by 1996. Permits the use of the following measures to reduce emissions in addition to enforceable continuous emission reduction measures if such measures are enforceable by entities and persons other than the State in which the emissions occur: (1) programs in energy conservation where emission reductions can be identified with such programs; (2) least emissions dispatch to meet electric generating demand at existing generating capacity; (3) retirement of major stationary sources at an earlier than provided for date; (4) trading of emission reduction requirements and actual reductions through emission reduction banks or brokerage institutions; and (5) precombustion cleaning of fuels. Makes it a priority to achieve emissions reductions through conservation of electricity. Permits emissions reductions achieved by this means to substitute for emissions reductions attributable to required emissions rate limitations. Requires State implementation plans to prohibit stationary sources from emitting any air pollutant which would contribute to atmospheric loadings of pollutants or their transformation products which might be adverse to public health or the environment. Requires primary nonferrous smelters to be in compliance with applicable emission limitations or standards by 1988, terminating previous exceptions (orders). Establishes emissions of oxides of nitrogen standards for light-duty vehicles, trucks, and engines for model years 1990 and after and for heavy-duty vehicles and engines for model years 1991 and after. Increases the required useful life of emissions control components. Requires at least 90 percent of any new vehicle or engine tested to comply with emissions control requirements to retain a certificate of conformity. Requires vehicle emission control inspection and maintenance programs to test or inspect components of vehicle emissions control systems and to replace inoperative parts. Prohibits the sale of diesel fuel with sulfur content above a specified level after July 1, 1988. Requires the President, by 1988, to institute negotiations with Canada and Mexico to cooperate in reducing air pollution. Directs the President to negotiate treaties or other international agreements to apply uniform standards of performance for the control of air pollutant emissions. Requires the President to seek comparable reductions in sulfur dioxide emissions from Canada. Requires the Secretary of State to give special emphasis to ensuring that the Nacozari smelter in Mexico meets pollution control standards under the Clean Air Act when negotiating with Mexico an Annex concerning transboundary air pollution to the 1983 Border Environmental Agreement. Requires such Annex to address pollution control and monitoring at other smelters within the United States and Mexico. Requires the EPA to perform atmospheric field experiments to determine the effects of pollution controls on the Nacozari smelter. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to study and report on a system of tariffs on emissions adequate to encourage emissions reductions of precursors of acid deposition and other environmental pollution.

Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on January 16, 1987. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.

Status
Introduced
January 16, 1987
In committee
October 22, 1987
Passed a chamber
Cleared Congress
Enacted
Where this sits in the process
Common questions
Composed from the official record
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?

4 steps remain before this bill could become law.

The record's latest action, on October 22, 1987: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered favorably reported an original bill (S. 1894) in lieu of this measure.

  1. Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
  2. Passage by the Senate
  3. Passage by the House
  4. The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?

Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.

In the 100th Congress (1987-88), 713 of the 9,582 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 7.4 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.

This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.

Has anyone actually voted on it?

No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.

A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.

Who is behind it?

GEORGE MITCHELL (D-ME) introduced it on January 16, 1987, and 16 members have since signed on as cosponsors.

They come from both major parties: 9 Democrats, 7 Republicans.

Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.

How long has it been in play?

It was introduced on January 16, 1987, 14482 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 14203 days ago, on October 22, 1987.

Measures do not carry over. Anything the 100th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1989 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.

Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.

Vote history

  1. Senate
    In committee, no floor vote yet
  2. House
    Awaits Senate passage
  3. President
    Awaits both chambers
No recorded votes yet
No roll call in this Congress cites this bill. Most bills die in committee without ever reaching a recorded floor vote.