As the past chairman of the Clean Air Subcommittee I chaired four hearings on the harmonization of our environmental regulations with our nation's energy policy. I think everyone would agree that the hearings were a success. We had some very helpful testimony and I would encourage the Chairman to review the hearing records.
Over the last ten years Ohio has spent more on emissions reductions than New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire Maryland, Delaware, and Washington D.C. combined. We reduced air toxins from approximately 381 million pounds in 1987 to 144 million pounds in 1996. When I began my term as Governor, eight of our cities were in nonattainment for ozone. Currently, all 88 Ohio countries are in attainment for the national Ambient Air Standards. No single state has done more to improve air quality in the last ten years than Ohio.
However, I believe Ohio and other States can still do more and more improvement is needed. This is why I started working with Senator Smith on his multi emissions legislation. Also, after I became Chairman of the Air Subcommittee I met with Senator Lieberman and Clinton and other members of the Committee to begin a dialog in order to reach a consensus on a utility emissions bill.
I remain optimistic that we can reach a bipartisan compromise to continue to improve the environment and public health, reduce utility emissions, create greater regulatory certainty, and ensure that American consumers will have safe, reliable, and cost effective electricity.
I have a great deal of respect for the Chairman and respectfully request that if we are to have a bipartisan bill, one that is regionally supported and has the support of the Administration, then we must in addition to holding hearings examining the environmental and health impacts of emissions hold hearings on the available control technologies for mercury and CO2. Senator Lieberman and I agreed to this earlier this year and I believe this topic needs to be addressed before this Committee considers any legislation.
For example, I am told by experts that control technologies to reach the reduction levels in the Jefford's Bill for mercury are not available. In addition, the only way to reach the reduction levels for CO2, without increasing the emissions of the other pollutants, is to switch away from fossil fuels such as coal.
Coal is our most abundant and cheapest source of energy, we have a 250 year supply and whatever we do in this Committee needs to take into account the fact that we will continue to be a fossil-fueled based economy for the conceivable future. This is why I support clean coal technologies and why I joined Senator Byrd in cosponsoring his Clean Coal Technology legislation.
We all agree that we need to reduce emissions. We need to have hearings on how to reduce the emissions and the kind of time, flexibility, and regulatory environment that will result in reducing emissions and continue to allow the use of fossil fuels. Otherwise we will enter into a mark-up without all of the data.
The finger pointing between the Northeastern States and the Midwestern States has gone on far too long. Currently nothing is happening to improve the environment and produce low cost energy. New generation facilities are being built using only natural gas. As a result the cost for natural gas has risen astronomically. This has resulted in high heating costs for consumers across Ohio and the entire country.
Mr. Chairman, I do look forward to working with you on this issue and others, but if we are going to work together on this we need to collectively define what all of the issues are and then more forward to work out the solutions.