The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed to strengthen and update the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) for coal-fired power plants to ensure the standards reflect the latest advancements in pollution control technologies. These progressive public health protections are especially important for people affected by hazardous air pollution, including children and vulnerable segments of the population such as Indigenous communities, low-income communities, and people of color who live near power plants, according to the EPA. (autoinformed.com: Power Plants Continue to Befoul Our Air During 2021; CARB, 21 Attorneys Generals, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York Demand Trump Stop Clean Air Act Gutting)
“America is leading the way in innovation, and our work to protect public health is no different. By leveraging proven, emissions-reduction measures available at reasonable costs and encouraging new, advanced control technologies, we can reduce hazardous pollution from coal-fired power plants, protecting our planet and improving public health for all,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Today’s proposal will support and strengthen EPA’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, which have delivered a 90% reduction in mercury emissions from power plants over pre-standard levels.”
This proposed rule, the most significant update since MATS was first issued in February 2012, meets EPA’s responsibility under the Clean Air Act to periodically review emission standards. Earlier this year EPA reaffirmed the scientific, economic, and legal underpinnings of the standards, reversing a rule issued by the previous Trump mis-administration that undermined the legal basis for crucial health protections.
MATS requires significant reductions of mercury, acid gases, and other harmful pollutants from coal and oil-fired electric generating units. After reexamining the previous administration’s required review of MATS, EPA is proposing more stringent emissions limits and additional, cost-reasonable monitoring and control methods to further reduce harmful pollution from these sources, resulting in cleaner air for surrounding communities.
EPA forecasts that the proposed rule would reduce emissions of mercury and non-mercury metal pollution, such as nickel, arsenic, and lead. These pollutants are known to cause significant health impacts including fatal heart attacks, cancer and developmental delays in children. The proposal would also result in emissions reductions of fine particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide nationwide.
Based on EPA’s latest assessment of available control technologies and techniques for reducing hazardous air pollutant emissions, EPA is proposing to further reduce by 67% the emissions limit for filterable particulate matter (fPM) for existing coal-fired power plants. This standard is designed to control emissions of nickel, arsenic, and other non-mercury hazardous air pollutants, HAP metals* from these plants. The proposal also includes cost and feasibility information on achieving even lower levels of fPM emissions, and EPA is taking comment on whether to finalize a more stringent standard.
In addition, EPA is proposing a 70% reduction in the emissions limit for mercury from existing lignite-fired sources, a limit that would ensure these plants achieve the same level of emissions performance as other coal-fired power plants. Mercury exposure at high levels can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system of people of all ages.
EPA’s proposal also includes improvements and updates to emissions monitoring requirements for coal-fired power plants by requiring continuous emission monitoring systems to comply with the revised fPM emission limit. These continuous monitoring systems are highly cost-effective devices that provide regulators, the public, and facility owners or operators with accurate and real-time emission measurements. This up-to-the-moment, quality-assured data can lead to improved control devices and power plant operation, reducing air pollutant emissions and exposure for local communities. EPA is also proposing to revise requirements related to startup provisions to assure better emissions performance during periods of startup.
EPA’s proposal projects net public health benefits over the 10-year period from 2028 to 2037 to be $2.4 billion to $3 billion. This includes $1.2 billion to $1.9 billion in health benefits =, along with projected compliance costs of $230 million to $330 million. EPA estimated health benefits, = compliance costs, and net benefits of the proposed revisions to the MATS rule as directed by Executive Order 12866.
*HAP metals are with their compounds (in particulate or volatile form) included on the list of hazardous air pollutants in section 112 of the Clean Air Act.
Biden-Harris Want Stronger Power Plant Toxic Air Standards
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed to strengthen and update the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) for coal-fired power plants to ensure the standards reflect the latest advancements in pollution control technologies. These progressive public health protections are especially important for people affected by hazardous air pollution, including children and vulnerable segments of the population such as Indigenous communities, low-income communities, and people of color who live near power plants, according to the EPA. (autoinformed.com: Power Plants Continue to Befoul Our Air During 2021; CARB, 21 Attorneys Generals, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York Demand Trump Stop Clean Air Act Gutting)
“America is leading the way in innovation, and our work to protect public health is no different. By leveraging proven, emissions-reduction measures available at reasonable costs and encouraging new, advanced control technologies, we can reduce hazardous pollution from coal-fired power plants, protecting our planet and improving public health for all,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Today’s proposal will support and strengthen EPA’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, which have delivered a 90% reduction in mercury emissions from power plants over pre-standard levels.”
This proposed rule, the most significant update since MATS was first issued in February 2012, meets EPA’s responsibility under the Clean Air Act to periodically review emission standards. Earlier this year EPA reaffirmed the scientific, economic, and legal underpinnings of the standards, reversing a rule issued by the previous Trump mis-administration that undermined the legal basis for crucial health protections.
MATS requires significant reductions of mercury, acid gases, and other harmful pollutants from coal and oil-fired electric generating units. After reexamining the previous administration’s required review of MATS, EPA is proposing more stringent emissions limits and additional, cost-reasonable monitoring and control methods to further reduce harmful pollution from these sources, resulting in cleaner air for surrounding communities.
EPA forecasts that the proposed rule would reduce emissions of mercury and non-mercury metal pollution, such as nickel, arsenic, and lead. These pollutants are known to cause significant health impacts including fatal heart attacks, cancer and developmental delays in children. The proposal would also result in emissions reductions of fine particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide nationwide.
Based on EPA’s latest assessment of available control technologies and techniques for reducing hazardous air pollutant emissions, EPA is proposing to further reduce by 67% the emissions limit for filterable particulate matter (fPM) for existing coal-fired power plants. This standard is designed to control emissions of nickel, arsenic, and other non-mercury hazardous air pollutants, HAP metals* from these plants. The proposal also includes cost and feasibility information on achieving even lower levels of fPM emissions, and EPA is taking comment on whether to finalize a more stringent standard.
In addition, EPA is proposing a 70% reduction in the emissions limit for mercury from existing lignite-fired sources, a limit that would ensure these plants achieve the same level of emissions performance as other coal-fired power plants. Mercury exposure at high levels can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system of people of all ages.
EPA’s proposal also includes improvements and updates to emissions monitoring requirements for coal-fired power plants by requiring continuous emission monitoring systems to comply with the revised fPM emission limit. These continuous monitoring systems are highly cost-effective devices that provide regulators, the public, and facility owners or operators with accurate and real-time emission measurements. This up-to-the-moment, quality-assured data can lead to improved control devices and power plant operation, reducing air pollutant emissions and exposure for local communities. EPA is also proposing to revise requirements related to startup provisions to assure better emissions performance during periods of startup.
EPA’s proposal projects net public health benefits over the 10-year period from 2028 to 2037 to be $2.4 billion to $3 billion. This includes $1.2 billion to $1.9 billion in health benefits =, along with projected compliance costs of $230 million to $330 million. EPA estimated health benefits, = compliance costs, and net benefits of the proposed revisions to the MATS rule as directed by Executive Order 12866.
*HAP metals are with their compounds (in particulate or volatile form) included on the list of hazardous air pollutants in section 112 of the Clean Air Act.