Managing air toxics under the new Clean Air Act Amendments

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Power Engineering; (United States)

OSTI ID:5927052

Chow, W; Miller, M J; Fortune, J ^[1]; Behrens, G ^[2]; Rubin, E ^[3]

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1. Electric Power Research Inst. (US)
2. Radian Corp. (US)
3. Carnegie-Mellon Univ., PA (US)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been regulating air toxics (hazardous air pollutants) under Section 112 of the 1970 Clean Air Act Amendments. To date, EPA has established emission standards for seven hazardous air pollutants. They include arsenic, asbestos, benzene, beryllium, mercury, vinyl chloride and radionuclides. EPA had determined that the low risks associated with electric utility fossil fuel power plant radionuclide emissions did not justify regulation under Section 112. The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 greatly expand EPA's rulemaking authority over toxic or hazardous air pollutants. The law lists 189 chemicals that would be subject to control. Sources that emit 10 tons/yr or more of any one pollutant, or 25 tons/yr or more of any combination thereof, must apply maximum available control technology (MACT). By definition, MACT is at least as stringent as best available control technology (BACT) for similar sources. However, consideration of the cost and feasibility of control, energy impacts and environmental factors will be given in MACT. Under the new amendments, the EPA will conduct a three-year study of the public health hazards from exposure to toxic emissions from utilities and report to Congress. EPA can regulate such emissions only if the regulations are appropriate based on this study. Two additional studies addressing mercury are also required. The first directs the EPA to conduct a four-year study of mercury emissions from electric utility steam generating units, municipal waste combustion units, and other sources. Included in this paper are evaluations of the rate and mass of such emissions, of health and environmental effects, and of the available control technologies and their costs.

• OSTI ID: 5927052
• Journal Information: Power Engineering; (United States), Journal Name: Power Engineering; (United States) Vol. 95:1; ISSN POENA; ISSN 0032-5961
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200500 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Environmental Aspects-- (1990-)
200700 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Legislation & Regulations-- (1990-)
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
CHEMICAL WASTES
CONTROL
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
LAWS
LEGISLATION
MATERIALS
MERCURY
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NONRADIOACTIVE WASTES
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION LAWS
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
POLLUTION SOURCES
POWER PLANTS
PUBLIC HEALTH
REGULATIONS
SAFETY ANALYSIS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
US CLEAN AIR ACT
US EPA
US NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT
US ORGANIZATIONS
US SUPERFUND
WASTES