A permit program can be a valuable enforcement tool to apply the general commands of the law to particular pollution sources. But the Nickles-Heflin amendment turned this idea on its head. It would have provided a shield to protect emitters from clean-up requirements needed to protect public health, repealed monitoring requirements under current law, and eliminated the rights of citizens to enforce the law.

The vote, on a motion to table the Nickles-Heflin amendment, which would have hand-cuffed EPA's ability to enforce all Clean Air Act requirements and limited citizen suits, failed by a vote of 47-50 on March 27. Yes is the pro-environment vote.