State Attorney General Peggy Lautenschlager recently filed a legal challenge to air-quality regulations recently adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, stalling Wisconsin’s adoption of loosened air-quality regulations.

The new EPA rules were scheduled to take effect yesterday in Wisconsin and would have relaxed regulations over industrial building and power-plant pollution control.

Lautenschlager said she believes significant aspects of the rule change are unlawful and would allow for great air pollution from industry.

“Wisconsin is already having problems meeting federal air-quality standards for pollutants like ozone,” Lautenschlager said. “Wisconsin may find its present air-quality problems exacerbated in the near future.”

Lautenschlager said much of the pollution in Wisconsin’s air is coming from neighboring states, which will have their air-pollution standards slackened by the new EPA rules this spring.

Lautenschlager said the new rules show favor to older and dirtier facilities over newer and cleaner ones by relaxing the requirements for the installation of pollution controls.

The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board acted Wednesday on the recommendation of the Department of Natural Resources’ Bureau of Air Management and voted in unanimous support to legally challenge the EPA rules.

Because the legal challenge is a federal action, Lautenschlager’s appeal had to be approved by Gov. Jim Doyle. In a statement permitting Lautenschlager to take action, Doyle’s office said the petition would intervene against what was called the Bush administration’s plan to weaken pollution-control requirements for power plants and manufacturers who make modifications to their facilities.

Dan Johnson is the chief of staff for state Sen. Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn, who is the chair of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

Johnson said neither Kedzie nor the ENRC was offering a position on the attorney general’s challenge, but said Kedzie did write a letter to Doyle Monday reminding him of the extreme situation of the state’s budget.

“While I am not offering a position on either the EPA regulations or the lawsuit, I would like to inquire and remain appraised of any costs incurred by the state for joining this lawsuit during these difficult fiscal times,” Kedzie said in the letter.

Johnson said Doyle authorized the appeal Friday, Feb. 28, the last day to do so before the March 3 implementation of the new rules, and that Kedzie’s fear was a drawn-out lawsuit costing Wisconsin taxpayers too much money.

Kedzie said the new EPA regulations and Lautenschlager’s action against them are creating a great deal of controversy over whether the relaxation of the regulations was a politically motivated move spurred by Bush and if Wisconsin and other states appealing to the new rules is warranted.

Johnson said if upheld, the appeal would change the nature of the enforcement of the EPA regulations, originally put in place as a result of the Clean Air Act of 1974.

“The regulatory authority would be shifted from federal supervision to state supervision,” Johnson said.

Twelve other states have filed similar petitions, including all of New England, New Jersey and neighboring Illinois.