EPA to Hold Public Hearing on Mercury Pollution from Power Plants

Media Contact: Bonnie Smith, 215-814-5543, smith.bonnie@epa.gov
May 3, 2011

EPA to Hold Public Hearing on National Standard for Mercury Pollution from Power Plants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing standards to limit mercury, acid gases and other toxic pollution from power plants.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public hearing in Philadelphia on May 24, 2011 on the proposed mercury and air toxics standards. The new power plant mercury and air toxics standards would require many power plants to install widely available, proven pollution control technologies to cut harmful emissions of mercury, arsenic, chromium, nickel and acid gases, while preventing as many as 17,000 premature deaths and 11,000 heart attacks a year.

  • WHAT: Public hearing on proposed mercury and air toxics standards
  • WHEN: Tuesday, May 24, 2011. The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 8 p.m. EDT
  • WHERE: Philadelphia: Westin Philadelphia, 99 S. 17th Street at Liberty Place, Philadelphia, PA. 19103
  • REGISTRATION: The public may register to speak at a specific time at a hearing by contacting Pamela Garrett at 919-541-7966 or garrett.pamela@epa.gov or registering in person on the day of a hearing. EPA also will accept written comments on the proposed standards until July 5, 2011. EPA will finalize the rule by November 2011.
  • Preregistration deadline 5 p.m., May 19
  • ADDITION INFORMATION: Reducing Toxic Air Emissions From Power Plants: For more information on the hearings and instructions for submitting written comments see: http://www.epa.gov/airquality/powerplanttoxics/
  1. Proposed Rule (PDF) (946pp, 1.9 MB) [ http://www.epa.gov/airquality/powerplanttoxics/pdfs/proposal.pdf ] Note: Pages 214 and 518 of the signed proposed rule contain references to proprietary technology. EPA included these references merely to illustrate that the technologies under discussion are commercially available. EPA and the U.S. government do not endorse any of the listed products.
  2. Fact Sheet Summarizing the Proposed Rule (PDF) (5pp, 36k) [ http://www.epa.gov/airquality/powerplanttoxics/pdfs/proposalfactsheet.pdf ]
  3. Overview Presentation (PDF) (18pp, 797k) [ http://www.epa.gov/airquality/powerplanttoxics/pdfs/presentation.pdf ]
  4. Overview Fact Sheet (PDF) (5pp, 48k) [ http://www.epa.gov/airquality/powerplanttoxics/pdfs/overviewfactsheet.pdf ]
  5. Regulatory Impact Analysis [ http://www.epa.gov/ttn/ecas/ria.html ]
  6. Integrated Planning Model (IPM) Analysis [ http://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/progsregs/epa-ipm/toxics.html ]

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