5.3. ERMUSR 03-08-2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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AA~Ais.~~ Position Statement Minnesota Municipal Uti/ities Association Air Quality The Clean Air Act was passed in 1970 to achieve and maintain a healthy air quality in the _~ United States. As amended, the Clean Air Act (CAA) addresses control standards for new generating plants, protection of visibility in pristine areas, and control of acid rain r precursor emissions. -' CAA currently includes multiple programs designed to reduce the emissions of certain s pollutants for power plants. The large number of programs, their conflicting compliance ~, deadlines, and the cost of pollution control technologies have increased the costs and risks associated with generating electric power from fossil fuel plants. To address this patchwork of regulatory programs, the passage ofmulti-pollutant control legislation that amends and updates CAA is the top environmental issue for the power generation sector. Considerable congressional activity is expected early in the new 109th Congress on the President's Clear Skies Initiative, anation-wide emissions reduction program which would impose limitations on three primary criteria pollutants emitted from power plants - sulfur dioxide (SOZ), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and mercury (Hg). This proposal will provide environmental certainty, replace multiple piecemeal regulations for power plants with a single set of requirements, and will rely on proven market-based emission trading to reduce costs. The initiative also uses a voluntary program to reduce emission of carbon dioxide (COz), for which no cost effective emissions reduction technology exists. A market-based program for controlling multiple air pollutants such as SOZ, NOx, and Hg will prove more effective than the current, often redundant approach to achieving air quality goals. As Congress considers clean air reforms, any legislation to alter the current regulatory scheme for power plants should include the following concepts to achieve a proper balance of economic, energy and environmental goals: T X • Limit only the emissions of SOZ, NOx, and Hg. Some members of Congress support legislation that would limit emissions of COz, which would be extremely costly and could impair the security of the nation's electricity supply. A COZ program involving continued research on climate change and voluntary reduction ' offers a better approach to dealing with this concern. • Allow plant modifications that improve efficiency without increasing emissions. The continuing debate over when New Sources Performance ,~ Standards apply to plant modifications must be clarified. New Source Review (NSR) should not be used to prevent plant owners from making modifications that would increase plant efficiency and output without increasing emissions.