Dec. 14 -- Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevichīs plan to reduce power plant
mercury emissions by at least 90 percent by 2015 has won final approval
from the state.
The Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules signed off Dec. 12 on the governorīs proposal to require coal-fired power plants in the state to install modern pollution control equipment to cut mercury pollution by at least 90 percent.
Illinois coal-fired power plants emit about 3.5 tons of mercury annually, according to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Forty-three percent of U.S. mercury emissions come from coal-fired units. Federal regulations require coal-fired power plants to reduce mercury emissions by 78 percent by 2018.
The state also reached a multi-pollutant reduction agreement Dec. 12 with the stateīs largest coal-fired electric generator, Midwest Generation LLC, a subsidiary of Rosemead, Calif.-based Edison Internationalīs Edison Mission Group.
Midwest Generation operates six coal-fired power plants in the state and agreed to install modern pollution control equipment or shutdown those units where it does not. The company will reduce mercury emissions by 84 percent by 2009, 90 percent by 2013 and 95 percent by 2018.
The company also agreed to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 68
percent by Jan. 1, 2012, and sulfur dioxide emissions by 80 percent by
Jan. 1, 2019. Under the agreement, Midwest Generation will explore
developing wind power projects and building clean-coal plants.
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