Groups say US EPA's mercury rule would increase other emissions
Washington (Platts)--26Aug2004
Environmental groups Thursday said the "fine print" on the US Environmental Protection Agenc's proposed mercury regulation would allow other toxins emitted from power plants to go unchecked. In a new report, members of the Clean the Air Task Force and the National Environmental Trust said the Bush administration's proposal would repeal the previous administration's finding that mercury is a toxin and must be controlled with maximum achievable control technology (MACT) under the Clean Air Act. The current mercury proposal offers the option of reducing power plant mercury emissions under a MACT standard or through an emissions cap and trading program. EPA favors a cap-and-trade approach and will issue a final rule in March. But the groups said such an approach is impermissable under the CAA. The trading approach "would relieve the power sector of any obligation to control lead, arsenic, chromium, dioxin, acid gases and organic compounds, among others," the groups said.
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