Groups say US EPA's mercury rule would increase other emissions

Groups say US EPA's mercury rule would increase other emissions

Washington (Platts)--26Aug2004


Environmental groups Thursday said the "fine print" on the US Environmental
Protection Agenc's proposed mercury regulation would allow other toxins
emitted from power plants to go unchecked. In a new report, members of the
Clean the Air Task Force and the National Environmental Trust said the Bush
administration's proposal would repeal the previous administration's finding
that mercury is a toxin and must be controlled with maximum achievable control
technology (MACT) under the Clean Air Act. 

The current mercury proposal offers the option of reducing power plant mercury
emissions under a MACT standard or through an emissions cap and trading
program. EPA favors a cap-and-trade approach and will issue a final rule in
March. But the groups said such an approach is impermissable under the CAA.
The trading approach "would relieve the power sector of any obligation to
control lead, arsenic, chromium, dioxin, acid gases and organic compounds,
among others," the groups said.

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