Budget Office urges Bush to veto resolution against mercury rule

Washington (Platts)--12Sep2005

The US Office of Management and Budget on Monday urged President Bush to
veto a US Senate resolution to repeal the administration's rule to allow
mercury emissions from power plants to be controlled through an emissions
credit trading program. 
     The Senate late Monday is expected to vote on the joint resolution that
was drafted by Democratic Sen Patrick Leahy (Vermont) and cosponsored by 31
senators--including Governmental Affairs Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins
(Republican-Maine). 
     If the Senate succeeds in passing the resolution it would have to clear
the US House of Representatives and be signed by the president to take effect.
     The resolution would nullify the Mar 29 mercury rule that removes fossil
generation from the list of major sources of hazardous air pollutants under
the Clean Air Act that require maximum available control technology.
     Following that rule, the US Environmental Protection Agency finalized
another to allow fossil units to buy and sell credits to meet a 15 ton a year
limit on mercury emissions beginning in 2018. Fossil units emit about 48 tons
of mercury a year at present. 
     Supporters of the Senate resolution believe the EPA rules allow the power
industry to skirt stricter Clean Air Act requirements, but industry
representatives argue that the market-based regulations are a proven way to
cut emissions and that the resolution would disrupt the first-ever mercury cap
on power generation.

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