US EPA says SO2, NOx emissions down, but still a concern

Washington (Platts)--30Apr2007

US emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide have dropped 53% and
30% respectively since 1990 because of federal cap-and-trade policies and
other requirements on industry, the Environmental Protection Agency said in a
report Monday.

The report, Air Quality and Emissions -- Progress Continues in 2006, is
the agency's annual update on the effectiveness of air pollution control
requirements.

EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson credited the Bush administration for
the emissions cuts because it has targeted emissions from industry and motor
vehicles. "The data is in and the trends are good -- our nation's air
continues to improve because of the Bush Administration's innovative clean air
policies," he said in a statement. "By tackling tailpipes and smokestacks, EPA
is clearing the air, and all Americans are breathing easier."

The SO2 and NOX trading programs are responsible for much of the drops in
air pollution, but problems these emissions cause persistent air pollution in
many areas of the country, the report added.

"Ozone and fine particle pollution [which are made up of NOX, SO2 and
other compounds] continue to present air quality problems throughout much of
the United States," the report noted.

EPA estimated that 72 million people live in areas violating the agency's
latest ozone standard and 66 million people reside in regions not meeting
EPA's new particulate matter standard.

New EPA SO2 and NOX caps, issued in March 2005, aim to cut power plant
emissions more than 80% from current levels by 2015.

--Martin Coyne, martin_coyne@platts.com