Court date for EPA acid rain rule
In an acid rain rulemaking that appears headed straight for the courtroom, the Environmental Protection Agency this week announced new limits on emissions of nitrogen oxides from coal-fired power plants. The regulations, announced March 1, are expected to achieve a 1.8 million ton per year reduction in power plant NOx emissions, which are considered a major contributor to acid rain. The agency issued companion regulations last year to cut power plant discharges of sulfur dioxide, the other major acid rain pollutant. The NOx rulemaking elicited contradictory responses from utility industry officials. One point of contention involves the agency's definition of low-NOx burner technology, a key regulatory determination. If a utility installs EPA-defined low-NOx burner technology and still cannot meet the new NOx limits, it can apply for a less stringent [open quotes]alternative emission limit.[close quotes] The other issue likely to be raised by industry officials involves the January 1995 compliance deadline for utilities included in Phase I of the NOx program. While EPA will allow individual utilities to seek a deadline extension until April 1996 in the event of operational difficulties, the agency rejected the industry's request for an across-the-board extension.
- OSTI ID:
- 6937382
- Journal Information:
- Energy Daily; (United States), Vol. 22:42; ISSN 0364-5274
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Enhanced Combustion Low NOx Pulverized Coal Burner
Acid rain compliance and coordination of state and federal utility regulation
Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
ACID RAIN
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
NITROGEN OXIDES
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
LEGAL ASPECTS
US EPA
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CHALCOGENIDES
CONTROL
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION CONTROL
RAIN
REGULATIONS
US ORGANIZATIONS
200700* - Fossil-Fueled Power Plants- Legislation & Regulations- (1990-)
293000 - Energy Planning & Policy- Policy
Legislation
& Regulation