Reducing Air Pollution from the Largest Sources
A coal-fired power plant
Problem
The New Source Review (NSR) and Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements of the Clean Air Act require certain large industrial facilities to install state-of-the-art air pollution controls when they build new facilities or make significant modifications to existing facilities. EPA investigations reveal that many facilities failed to install pollution controls after modifications, causing them to emit pollutants that can impact air quality and public health. Lean more on Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Basic Information
Goal
EPA will take action to eliminate or minimize emissions from coal-fired power plants, cement plants, glass plants and acid plants, which have been shown to seriously affect human health and the environment, by ensuring that there are no under-controlled coal-fired electric generating units, cement, acid, or glass plants.
Fast Fact
Coal-fired power plants emitted over 4.5 million tons of SO2 and over 1.6 million tons of NOx in 2010. (The source of that is the CAMD Acid Rain Database)
Enforcement Cases
Progress on Enforcement and Compliance Activities
The following charts show EPA's progress in reducing emissions from under-controlled coal-fired utilities, cement, glass, and acid plants.
- Chart showing total NOx and SO2 emissions from coal-fired utilities
- Chart showing the cumulative estimated SO2 emission reductions obtained from acid, glass, and cement NSR settlements
- Chart showing the cumulative estimated NOx emission reductions obtained from acid, glass, and cement NSR settlements
- Chart showing EPA's progress toward investigating and controlling cement plant facilities
- Chart showing EPA's progress toward investigating and controlling glass plant facilities
- Chart showing EPA's progress toward investigating and controlling coal-fired electric utility units
- Chart showing EPA's progress toward investigating and controlling acid plant facilities
- Chart showing EPA's progress toward controlling coal-fired electric utilities by generating capacity
