BY PAUL BARTON
Enquirer Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Gov. George Voinovich went to a House subcommittee Wednesday to protest proposals for tougher clean-air rules, but quickly found himself accused of not caring about the health of children and of residents of the Northeast.

The hearing highlighted the increasing political and regional divisions over the federal Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposals to impose tougher standards for ozone (smog) and particulate matter (soot) on the states.

Mr. Voinovich repeated to a subcommittee of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee his arguments that the EPA proposals rest on questionable health studies and would cost Ohioans billions in the form of utility controls and other steps necessary to meet them.

''I say, show me the science,'' Mr. Voinovich said.

Richard L. Brodsky of New York, who chairs a committee on environmental affairs in the legislature there, said Mr. Voinovich's continued emphasis on cost-benefit analysis to justify air standards was ''morally repugnant'' because it attempts to put a dollar value on human life.

Mr. Voinovich, vice-chairman of the National Governors' Association and one of the most outspoken politicians in the nation when it comes to clean-air rules, has opposed the EPA proposals since they were unveiled in November.

Under questioning from Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Mr. Voinovich found himself on the defensive.

''Do you dispute that there is a connection between air pollution, ozone and particulates and asthma attacks?'' Mr. Waxman asked the governor.

Mr. Voinovich said state health and air pollution experts in Ohio have told him the ''new standards will not have any measurable impact on the health of the people in the state of Ohio.''

Said Mr. Waxman: ''Leave the rules aside. Leave the costs aside. Do you doubt the connection between air pollution and asthma attacks in kids?''

Mr. Voinovich responded, ''The fact of the matter is, I am sure that there is some impact, but the question is whether or not increasing the ozone standard is going to have a measurable impact at all on the question of asthma.''

Mr. Waxman said he was concerned ''that we not trivialize what happens to kids'' and told Mr. Voinovich the questioning of the science behind the EPA proposals reminded him of the tobacco industry's past attempts to discredit studies dealing with smoking.

Mr. Voinovich said afterward the tobacco analogy was a red herring.

Mr. Sanders challenged the Ohio governor to prove his claims about economic devastation from the clean-air rules.

''I think what we can say is the businesses in Ohio have done a tremendous job in complying with current standards that are in existence and have spent billions of dollars to clean up the air,'' Mr. Voinovich said.

Pressed for specifics, Mr. Voinovich said his administration was working on analyses of businesses.

Asked for ''concrete, specific names,'' Mr. Voinovich said he would submit a list of coal mines and coal miners out of work because of clean-air regulations.