Some state lawmakers plan to hit petroleum producers with more than $1.2 billion in new costs over the next decade to pay for new water pollution programs. If refiners are forced to absorb those extra costs, they will become job killers right in the middle of a recession. If the industry passes the costs on to consumers, they will amount to a hidden four cent per gallon increase in our state’s gas tax — already one of the highest in the nation.
In 1972, Congress decided to toughen our water pollution laws. At President Nixon’s urging, it created the Environmental Protection Agency and gave the states additional powers to clean up our streams, lakes and underground aquifers.
It was a massive and expensive undertaking, and one of the biggest debates was over who would pay for new treatment programs and facilities.
Congress decided to attack the point sources first. Those sources — factories, mills, farms and sewer systems — were easier to identify, affix responsibility to and regulate. Since then, industries, farms and local taxpayers have spent billions on pollution controls and cleanup. As a result, our air and water is much cleaner.