EPA proposes changes to Mercury and Air Toxics Standards

Key takeaways:

• The changes may eliminate up to 43,000 cases of asthma symptoms and 240 premature deaths each year.
• Tougher standards would eliminate 800 tons of fine particulate matter and 8,800 tons of sulfur dioxide in 2035.

The EPA has invited public comments on its proposal to update and strengthen its Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for coal-fired and oil-fired power plants, and the American Lung Association supports these potential changes.

“Coal- and oil-fired power plants emit a wide range of pollutants,” Paul Billings, national senior vice president of public policy for the American Lung Association, told Healio.

These power plants emit mercury and non-mercury metal pollution, including nickel, arsenic and lead, which can cause heart attacks, cancer and developmental delays in children.

Paul Billings

“We look at mercury having effects on IQ and brain development for children, as mercury is ingested in fish and gets into the mother’s bloodstream, and mercury gets into the fetus,” Billings said.

Also, these power plants emit fine particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide, with significant impacts on respiratory health, Billings added.

“Inhaling particulate matter can lead to a wide range of adverse health effects, like coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath in healthy adults. We also see that it can result in asthma attacks,” Billings said.

The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to conduct a residual risk and technology review of its Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) every 8 years since its introduction in 2012, examining developments in pollution control technologies and how well these power plants are performing.

In 2020, the Trump Administration determined that regulation of coal-fired and oil-fired power plants was not appropriate or necessary and declined to take any action. But in 2023, following an executive order from the Biden administration, the EPA revoked that finding and developed a proposal to strengthen these standards.

“They’re supposed to look at the risks from the pollutants that are being regulated from these sources and look at the technology that’s available to reduce those pollutants,” Billings said.

According to Billings, the EPA has seen that today’s technology can capture filterable particulate matter in real-world settings. Also, he continued, lignite-fired electric-utility steam-generating units (EGUs) have had a looser standard than other coal-fired plants but can meet more protective standards with new technology.

Considering these recent developments in technology, Billings continued, the EPA has proposed a 67% reduction in the emissions limit for filterable particulate matter for existing coal-fired power plants in addition to a 70% reduction in the emissions limit for mercury from existing lignite-fired sources.

“What EPA is proposing is more stringent standards for filterable particulate matter, which serves as a surrogate for non-mercury hazardous metals from existing coal-fired EGUs,” Billings said.

Specifically, the EPA is proposing to revise the current standard from 0.03 pounds per 1 million BTU of heat input either to 0.01 pounds per million BTU of heat input or to 0.006 pounds per million BTU of heat input.

By 2028, a 0.01 pounds per million BTU standard would prevent 2,400 cases of asthma symptoms, whereas a 0.006 pounds per million standard would prevent 43,000 asthma cases of asthma symptoms, Billings said.

“You can see the huge range between 2,400 and 43,000, depending on whether they go with their proposed level or the more stringent standard they put forward,” Billings said.

Also, the 0.01 pounds per million BTU standard would prevent 11 premature deaths, 630 lost workdays and 3,700 minor-restricted days a year, but the 0.006 pounds per million standard would prevent 240 premature deaths, 12,000 lost workdays and 70,000 minor-restricted days a year, Billings continued.

Further, the EPA is proposing continuous emission-monitoring systems for coal-fired power plants that comply with the revised filterable particulate matter emission limit as well as revised requirements related to startup provisions to improve emissions performance.

The EPA expects these changes to eliminate 82 pounds of mercury, 800 tons of fine particulate matter, 8,800 tons of sulfur dioxide, 8,700 tons of nitrogen oxides and 5 million tons of carbon dioxide from emissions in 2035.

Between 2028 and 2037, the EPA also expects these proposals to save $2.4 billion to $3 billion in public benefits including $1.2 billion to $1.9 billion in health benefits against projected compliance costs of $230 million to $330 million.

Annually, the EPA expects $300 million to $350 million in benefits from these improved standards, including $170 million to $220 million in health benefits, with $33 million to $38 million in compliance costs.

These higher standards are necessary, Billings said, because despite these improvements in technology, air pollution continues to get worse.

“In EPA’s 2021 data, we saw mercury emissions tick back up. We think that’s because more coal plants were being operated in 2021. We saw more electricity coming from the coal-fired power plants,” he said.

These emissions included a 13% increase in mercury and a 20% increase in sulfur dioxide, according to the American Lung Association.

Some populations are affected by these pollutants more than others, Billings said.

“People of color and low income people are more likely to live in communities that bear the greatest burden from pollution from power plants,” he said.

Indigenous people and other communities that depend on fishing for nutrition are at risk from these pollutants as well, Billings continued, in addition to children whose respiratory and neurological systems are still developing.

Although EPA data indicates that mercury emissions from coal-fired EGUs in 2021 were 90% lower than they were before the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards were implemented in 2012, Billings said that improvements continue to be possible and necessary.

“We still have more work to do to reduce the emissions from this sector,” he said.

Billings encouraged providers and other parties to visit lungaction.org and sign on to the American Lung Association’s comments supporting improvements in these standards, in addition to making their voices heard elsewhere.

“They can also speak out in their communities about the importance of addressing all pollution from power plants, including this toxic pollution, and speak out on behalf of their patients,” he said. “Be an advocate for improving and protecting the health of the people that they serve.”

References:

• Biden-Harris Administration proposes to strengthen the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for power plants. https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-proposes-strengthen-mercury-and-air-toxics-standards-power. Published April 5, 2023. Accessed April 13, 2023.
• Fact sheet: EPA’s proposal to strengthen and update the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for Power Plants. https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-04/Fact%20Sheet_MATS%20RTR%20Proposed%20Rule.pdf. Published April 6, 2023. Accessed April 13, 2023.
• Lung Association applauds proposal to strengthen Mercury and Air Toxics Standards; urges EPA to further cut toxic emissions. https://www.lung.org/media/press-releases/2023-mats-rtr-statement, Published April 5, 2023. Accessed April 13, 2023.