Washington, D.C.?EUR??,,????'??+ Under the terms of a court settlement on August 19, 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to propose new rules by April 2004 and adopt them by April 2005 to curtail air pollution in the national parks and forests. The settlement derives from a suit by Earthjustice to enforce deadlines enunciated in the Clean Air Act. The settlement basically requires the EPA to set standards that will lower power plant and factory pollution that make the majestic scenery of our great national parks less visible. The Clean Air Act ?EUR??,,????'??required?EUR??,,????'?? the EPA to adopt a program to clean up the air in our wilderness areas more than 20 years ago. Easier said than done. EPA efforts toward this goal were thwarted in federal court last year by suits filed by industrial concerns, asserting federal infringement of state authority. Essentially, the court presented the EPA with a Catch-22. The court recognized the validity of the EPA pollution guidelines, but said that certain aspect of the federal standards could not be imposed on the states. It is estimated that our vistas have been diminished anywhere from 50 to 80 percent compared to the distances our forefathers could contemplate. Emissions from outdated power plants are considered the greatest culprits in our hazy views. The EPA?EUR??,,????'???s task is daunting: to set the standards to bring the belching behemoths of industry within modern, technological air pollution parameters, but?EUR??,,????'??+here?EUR??,,????'???s the kicker?EUR??,,????'??+within the guidelines mandated by the court to appease the states and power plant/factory concerns. The EPA guidelines must undergo a period of public comment and approval by the court .