|
20 October 2006 -- The Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board (EQB), an independent regulatory review panel, has approved a plan that will cut toxic mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants in Pennsylvania by 90 percent by 2015. The state-specific plan would be more restrict more mercury emissions and more quickly than the federal government's Clean Air Mercury Rule.
The EQB voted 17-3 to approve the state plan, which drew 10,934 responses -- a record for a rulemaking in Pennsylvania -- during a public comment period that included three hearings in July.
Other approvals, including that by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission, still are needed before the EQB action is final.
Pennsylvania must submit its plan to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by Nov. 17, describing how the state will implement and enforce its own more protective standards for coal-fired power plants.
Pennsylvania has 36 plants with 78 electric generating units that represent 20,000 MW of capacity. The commonwealth is second, behind only Texas, both in terms of total mercury emissions from all sources and the total amount of mercury pollution coming from power plants. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, nearly 80 percent of the 5 tons of mercury emitted in Pennsylvania comes from power plants.
The two-step state-specific plan requires an 80 percent reduction in mercury emissions by 2010, and a 90 percent reduction by 2015. Trading of mercury allowances is prohibited.
| 
Articles 
| View all PennWell sites | View all PennWell events
Add RSS Feed
