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Greenbytes: March 18, 2005 Edition
In this Issue
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Feature:
CAIR: A Major Step Forward in Eliminating 'Smog' Days
in New England
By Robert W. Varney
A rule meant to dramatically reduce air pollution crossing state boundaries in 28 eastern states, including Connecticut and Massachusetts, was signed by EPA Acting Administrator Steve Johnson this month. When fully in place, the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) will dramatically reduce pollution in the eastern part of the United States, and should make "smog days" in New England a problem of the past.
CAIR and existing Clean Air Act programs are expected to bring almost all of New England into compliance with the nation's smog standard within the next five years. Most of New England's most populated areas are now out of compliance with the ozone standard, including all of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and parts of Maine and New Hampshire. The region had 13 smog-alert days last summer, but 43 smog-exceedance days in 2002 -- when more typical hot summer weather occurred.
CAIR will permanently cap emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the eastern United States. When fully in place, it will reduce SO2 emissions in 28 eastern states and the District of Columbia by more than 70 percent and NOx emissions by more than 60 percent from 2003 levels. This will bring health benefits that will save $100 billion per year in health care costs by 2015, and prevent 17,000 premature mortalities; 1.7 million lost work days; and 500,000 lost school days per year.
CAIR requires that the 28 states that play a large role in polluting the air of their downwind neighbors, control the pollution that moves across state boundaries. It will help some 450 counties in the Eastern US meet EPA's protective air quality standards for ozone and fine particles.
Health and environmental benefits are expected to total more than 25 times the cost of compliance by 2015. The rule creates one of the largest investments ever in clean air technology, requiring nearly $17 billion of investment in pollution controls.
Under CAIR, states will achieve the required emissions reductions using one of two options for compliance: 1) require power plants to participate in an EPA-administered interstate cap and trade system that caps emissions in two stages, or 2) meet an individual state air emission limits through measures of the state's choosing.
This past week acting Administrator Steve Johnson also signed the Clean Air Mercury Rule, a rule that will significantly reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants across the country. Taken together, with CAIR the new Clean Air Mercury Rule will reduce electric utility mercury emissions by nearly 70 percent from 1999 levels when fully implemented.
More information on CAIR is available at: http://www.epa.gov/CAIR
or about mercury visit: http://www.epa.gov/mercury/air/mercuryrule
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Press Releases
U.S. EPA to Hold Public Meeting and Continue Work at APCO Mossberg Site in Attleboro
Seven Bulk Petroleum Storage Facilities Along Chelsea River
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Meetings & Conferences
Mass.
Military Range (MMR) Impact Area Review Team
Tues. Mar. 22, 2005
Public Hearing
on Draft NPDES Permit for the GE facility
Wed. March 23, 2005; Pittsfield MA (was 02-10-05)
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Regional
NPDES - draft chelsea creek fuel terminals permit
National
EPA Announces First-Ever Rule to Reduce Mercury Emissions from Power Plants
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