It’s not surprising, but it is alarming. Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency hit another home run for industry.

The agency, under acting administrator Marianne Horinko, is easing regulations that require older power plants, refineries and chemical factories to add pollution-cutting devices when upgrading facilities.

Under the new regulations, 17,000 facilities upgrades will be allowed to declare any expansion up to 20 percent of the facility’s size as “routine maintenance.” Routine maintenance means no expensive anti-pollution controls, as required by 1970’s Clean Air Act, even if the upgrades do increase pollution.

Horinko says the new rule will allow businesses to make more energy-efficient improvements on their own.

Yeah, right.

Under the new regulations, older, pollution-spewing industrial plants can essentially rebuild themselves over a five-year period without having to install anti-pollution controls. Why build new, more energy-efficient plants when you can keep the old ones in production?

The Clean Air Act was written into law over 30 years ago for good reason. Older industrial plants spewed pollutants into the air, and when those plants were required to install anti-pollution controls when making upgrades, air quality improved. Good for the environment, bad for big industry.

What’s worse is that the Bush administration’s blatant disregard for cleaner air goes against recommendations from EPA scientists.

Two days after the new regulations were announced, EPA scientists released a report urging the government to consider imposing tougher regulations on soot levels in our air.

The report says at current levels, soot contributes to health problems. Soot comes from emissions released by power plants, diesel-powered engines and industrial factories. Factories will now be allowed to decide on their own if they feel expensive pollution-cutting controls are necessary.

The EPA’s air quality office says it’s too early to tell what impact the new report will have on influencing new governmental policy, but you can’t have it both ways.

Not all is lost. No plant can increase emissions beyond the EPA’s previously set limits. Other Clean Air policies are still in place.

But once again, the EPA has struck out big time for the environment.

Editorial Board:Nicole Paseka, Megan Hinds, Amy Schierbrock, Alicia Ebaugh