A stubborn foe in a storied town.

• Position: Massachusetts

It was Fall in coastal Massachusetts, a time when east winds should blow nothing but pulse-quickening salt air into the countryside. But forget about that. Coal dust--carcinogenic soot--typically befouled the air in historic Salem, around the coal-fired power plant owned by PG&E. And that longtime CLF nemesis was fighting to maintain this dangerous state of affairs, slowing implementation of the nation's toughest regulations on powerplant pollution.

As part of our continuing efforts to clear the air, a coalition consisting of CLF, Healthlink, Clean Water Action, and Mass-PIRG met with senior officials of Governor Jane Swift's administration to demand prompt implementation. The power company's tactics reminded CLF Senior Attorney/Clean Air and Climate Change Project Director Seth Kaplan of his days as a landlord-tenant lawyer. He told the gathering, "PG&E is acting like a slum landlord, providing minimal upkeep and maintenance, and deriving maximum profits while ignoring complaints about the hazards his property creates."

Governor Swift had in May 2001 signed the new regulations, giving power companies the option of...