INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Air Pollution Control Board gave preliminary approval Wednesday to tough new clean-air rules, despite objection from the state's major utilities.
The rules would require utilities to install equipment to curb nitrogen oxide emissions at coal-burning plants.
The measure will take effect in 2004. It affects not only power plants, but companies with boilers and other manufacturers.
Utility officials objected and said the new equipment would cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Utilities would spend $1.3 billion on the controls during the next three to five years, said Daniel Weiss, senior environmental analyst for Cinergy Corp.
The utilities asked the board to postpone adoption of the rules until it sees whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is more flexible under the Bush administration, than it was under former President Bill Clinton.
Indiana already has missed deadlines for complying with federal mandates to cut pollution and has to keep the process moving, said Janet McCabe, assistant administrator for air quality.
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