The Collins-Linder

amendment would be added to the Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development

and independent agencies (VA-HUD) appropriations bill.

If added, the

legislation would stop the EPA from naming communities that are in non-compliance

with its new pollution standards until the courts have finished ruling

on legality of the new standards, but would allow the agency to continue

collecting data.

Collins spokesman

Doug Graham said Tuesday that versions of the measure have passed both

houses of Congress and a conference version is on the floor of both houses

this week.

Collins introduced

the amendment, he said, because the EPA's new air pollution measurement

standards are undergoing a court challenge. Its present standard measures

pollution over a one-hour period, while the new standard measures air

quality over an eight-hour period.

A lower court

ruled against the EPA's new eight-hour standard, and the Supreme Court

is scheduled to hear the case this fall. It is expected to issue a ruling

during the spring of 2001.

"If the

EPA designated a community in non-compliance today, it would harm its

chances to attract new investment and new jobs, and could endanger new

transportation funding," Collins said. "The community would

have to spend thousands of scarce dollars complying with this designation,

only to find out, six months later, that the Supreme Court ruled against

the EPA. That would be a huge waste, and this is why my bill simply says

the EPA must wait until the court decides."

Environmental

groups, such as Public Interest Research Group and Friends of the Earth,

claim that the amendment will cut off pollution measurement, said Collins,

who labeled the groups as "extremist." The groups have purchased

advertisements in the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer as well as newspapers in

districts of other congressmen who supported the initial amendment.

"Kit Redmond,

head of the ambient air monitoring program of the Georgia Environmental

Protection Division, has confirmed that testing using both the present

one-hour standard and the proposed eight-hour standard will continue even

if my amendment becomes law," Collins said.

Collins spokesman

Graham said a key factor in whether the amendment receives final approval

is the White House, which has not yet weighed in on the bill.

Environmental

groups are lobbying the president, but proponents of the bill are hoping

for White House support, he said.

"I spend

a lot of time outdoors and, like most Georgians, value a clean environment,"

said Collins. "However, I believe that we have to use common sense

to balance the need for a clean environment with the need for good jobs

and economic growth.

"These

groups claim that it is impossible to reconcile a cleaner environment

with economic growth, but I disagree," Collins said. "A common

sense approach allows us to pursue both goals at the same time."