RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina lawmakers are closer to scrapping the state's program measuring toxic air pollution.
The state House voted 70-46 on Tuesday to approve the changes and move the measure on to consideration by the Senate.
The state now regulates toxic air pollutants by measuring whether factories are releasing levels that could affect human health. The change would follow federal rules and require plants use the best available technology, and leave it up to the state environment agency to step in if there are indications toxic emissions are hurting public health.
Groups representing manufacturing and chemical production plants and the state's chamber of commerce want to scale back the state program, which measures for pollutants at the property lines of almost 800 facilities.
