---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Fred Heutte <phred@sunlightdata.com>
Date: Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 2:17 PM
Subject: E&E: White House greenlights EPA power plant rules
To: COAL-CAMPAIGN-ALERTS@lists.sierraclub.org


White House greenlights EPA power plant rules

Gabriel Nelson, E&E reporter

Published: Tuesday, December 20, 2011

U.S. EPA's new rules for toxic emissions from coal- and oil-
burning power plants have been cleared for release by the White
House Office of Management and Budget.

Friday was the deadline for EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to
sign the final standards, which would set the first federal
limits on chemicals such as mercury, acid gases and dioxins.
After a two-month review that included about 20 meetings at the
White House, the agency has permission to release them, according
to a change made today to a White House rulemaking database.

That step usually signals the imminent release of a rule, and
several sources briefed on the standards said they expect EPA to
come out with them soon. Yet the agency has kept mum.

"We will make details available when we are ready to make an
announcement," an EPA spokeswoman wrote in an email. "As we have
made clear, any standard will maximize flexibilities, while
providing extensive public health protections from dangerous
pollutants."

The White House finished reviewing two rules Friday.

One is the "appropriate and necessary finding," which says toxic
emissions from coal- and oil-fired plants have measurable health
effects that justify subjecting all plants to an emissions
standard. After reaching that conclusion, which EPA first did in
2000, the agency must set emissions limits based on maximum
achievable control technology (MACT) already in use.

The White House also gave the agency permission to release the
MACT standards, which have gotten push-back from some coal-
burning utilities because they would drive hundreds of plants to
undergo major renovations or shut down over the next several
years.

House Republicans passed a bill this fall that would delay the
rules, loosen their requirements and give power companies more
time to add pollution controls. Sen. James Inhofe, the Oklahoma
Republican who leads his party on the Environment and Public
Works Committee, says he, too, will introduce a resolution to
nullify the rules after their release.

Paul Billings, vice president for national policy and advocacy at
the American Lung Association, said he expects EPA to release the
rules soon. Under the settlement, the agency has five business
days from this past Friday to submit the finalized rule for
publication in the Federal Register.

EPA says curbing toxic emissions would have a wide range of
health benefits, including stopping thousands of people from
dying each year by cleaning up soot from power plants.

"The rule should be released so the public can see the benefits,"
Billings said.

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