Tag Archives: EPA
U.S. Elections vs. the Environment: The Stigma of Successful Regulation
The current administration’s environmental policies have frequently been a disappointment, but the choice in the November elections seems sure to be between disappointment and disaster. Continue reading
Industry Wields Sway Over Air Pollution Rules, Enforcement
Sunflower Electric’s Kansas permit success (to date) is a telling snapshot of how, when industry flexes its muscles over Clean Air Act issues, it often wins. From Kansas to Louisiana to Texas, Wisconsin and Ohio, community groups have fought new plants, expansions and chronic emissions – only to see industry score victories with regulators and politicians. Continue reading
EPA Issues First National Standards for Mercury Pollution from Power Plants
More than 20 years ago, a bipartisan Congress passed the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and mandated that EPA require control of toxic air pollutants including mercury. To meet this requirement, EPA worked extensively with stakeholders, including industry, to minimize cost and maximize flexibilities in these final standards. There were more than 900,000 public comments that helped inform the final standards being announced today.
EPA estimates that the new safeguards will prevent as many as 11,000 premature deaths and 4,700 heart attacks a year. The standards will also help America’s children grow up healthier – preventing 130,000 cases of childhood asthma symptoms and about 6,300 fewer cases of acute bronchitis among children each year. Continue reading
EPA to Unveil Stricter Rules for Power Plants
More than 20 years ago, Congress ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate toxic air pollution. It’s done that for most industries, but not the biggest polluters — coal and oil-burning power plants. Those upwind power plants are in other states, and that’s why it’s so important for the EPA this time to adopt strong nationwide rules with tough deadlines, despite all the political pressure it’s under not to do so. Continue reading
Who’s Killing the Coal-Fired Power Plant?
EPA rules are only an accelerant, and only in some cases; and may give many power companies the cover to launch costly new projects with huge returns, and to tighten markets in a way that could drive up prices and profits. Companies are shutting down many older, dirtier coal plants because it makes better economic sense. Continue reading
Will New Power Plant Pollution Rules Shut Out Your Lights?
If one thinks that concerns about reliability have been overblown, there is plenty of food for thought. Continue reading
Yet More Evidence That Shutting Down Coal Plants Will Not Threaten Reliability
There’s a growing — at this point overwhelming — body of evidence that it is perfectly possible to shut down the nation’s dirtiest coal plants and still keep the lights on. This won’t stop industry shills from fear mongering. Continue reading
Constellation Power Plant Meets EPA Goals AEP Calls Unattainable
While rivals such as American Electric Power Co. are lobbying for a delay, Constellation is urging President Barack Obama to stick to the EPA’s plans. “It’s entirely possible to comply with these rules and remain a profitable company,” Allen said. Continue reading
Commonsense Environmental Rules Protect Kansas Families
Utilities serving more than 2 million Kansans have sued to block the EPA’s Cross-State rule. The power companies have threatened brownouts, rolling blackouts and targeted service interruptions to big industries. Kansans should know that in the EPA’s 40-year history, there have been no instances in which the Clean Air Act has contributed to electric grid reliability problems, and should any arise, the Clean Air Act gives us the tools to address them on a case-by-case basis. Continue reading
