Sponsor Says Fate of Clean-Air Bill in Doubt

PHOENIX - The Senate advanced a bill on Wednesday to combat air pollution in the Phoenix and Tucson areas, but its sponsor said the bill's fate and scope are in serious question as industries and other interests resist proposed mandates.

The Senate gave the bill (SB1552) preliminary approval by voice vote. Approval by formal vote would send the bill to the House.

Shorn of numerous provisions before it even emerged from a Senate committee last month, the measure now includes restrictions on outdoor fires, leaf blowers and truck hauling of uncovered loads.

Deleted provisions include prohibitions on farm tilling, expanding the Phoenix and Tucson emission-control areas and a new system to cumulatively measure requirements for anti-pollution steps.

However, Sen. Carolyn Allen stressed that at least for now, her bill is just a ``placeholder'' to move through the legislative process in hopes that an agreement can be reached on what to include from a menu of clean-air options.

Allen, a Scottsdale Republican, said talks with so-called ``stake-holders'' representing affected industries and groups continue, though some participants seem to be willing to only have others make sacrifices.

If a consensus can't be reached early enough during the 2-month-old regular session, ``a special session may be warranted,'' she said before Wednesday's Senate action on the bill.

Allen and other supporters of the legislation say the stakes are high because the state faces federal clean-air mandates on emissions of particulates and ozone. The government could impose penalties such as cutting highway funds and imposing requirements that business expansion projects be accompanied by steps to eliminate twice as much pollution as they produce.

If the effort fails, ``we won't be able to do any freeways. You won't be able to have building out on the edge (of the Phoenix metropolitan area) if we don't have roads to get there,'' she said.

The dozens of participants in the stake-holder talks include lawmakers and representatives of environmentalists, farmers, homebuilders, cities, ranchers, utilities and other businesses. Gov. Janet Napolitano supports the bill, and one of her policy aides is participating in the talks.