José C. Font, Director

Caribbean Environmental Protection Division

US EPA Region 2

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview 
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

Background

• On December 16, 2011, EPA finalized the Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards (MATS), the first national standards to reduce emissions 

of mercury and other toxic air pollutants from new and existing coaland oil-fired power plants

• Standards will reduce emissions of:

• Metals, including mercury, arsenic, chromium, and nickel

• Acid gases, including hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride

• Particulate matter
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

Background, cont’d

• Air toxic pollutants are linked to cancer, IQ loss, neurological damage, 

heart disease, lung disease and premature death

• Standards create uniform emissions-control requirements based on 

proven, currently in-use technologies and processes
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

Emissions From Power Plants
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November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

How Emissions of Mercury Can Impact 

Human Health and Ecosystems
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

Actual Emission and Reduction 

Thru MATS Rule

• Mercury – from 44 T to 15 T = 15% reduction

• HAPS – i.e. Nickel – from 579 T to 219 T = 38% reduction

• NOx - reducing the emissions of NOx from fossil-fuel fired utilities can 

help to improve either those directly related to NOx emissions, or the 

effects of ozone and PM resulting from the combination of NOx with 

other pollutants.
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

Mercury Emissions

Industrial

Category

1990

Emissions

(tons/year)

2005

Emissions

(tons/year)

Percent

Of

Reduction

Power Plants 59 53 10

Municipal Waste 

Combustors 57 2 96

Medical Waste

Incinerators 51 1 98

Approximately 40 percent of the current Power Plants still do

not have advanced pollution control equipment
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

MATS Final Rule

• The rule sets a few standards (for mercury, acid gases, non-mercury metal air 

toxics, and organic air toxics) to limit emissions of these pollutants

• Most of these standards are numeric emissions limits; the standard for 

organic air toxics is a work practice standard

• In some cases, these standards are “surrogates” for a number of 

pollutants. (e.g. setting a numeric HCl emissions limit to control all acid 

gases)

• For many standards, sources can choose to meet the primary standard or 

an alternate standard. (e.g. MATS also sets a numeric SO2 emissions limit 

as an alternate surrogate for acid gases)

• The CAA requires EPA to set the emission standards for existing sources at a 

level that is at least as stringent as the emission reductions achieved by the 

average of the best performing 12% of sources in the category
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

Benefits of MATS

• Preventing about 90 percent of the mercury emissions in coal 

burned in power plants

• Reducing 88 percent of acid gas emissions from power plants

• Reducing 41 percent of sulfur dioxide emissions from power 

plants 

• The value of the air quality improvements for people's health alone 

totals $37 billion to $90 billion each year. That means that for 

every dollar spent to reduce this pollution, Americans get $3-9 in 

health benefits 
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

Widely-Available Control 

Technologies

Pollutant Control Technology

Mercury

Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR ) with Flue-gas 

Desulfurization (FGD), Activated Carbon Injection 

(ACI), ACI with Fabric Filter (FF) or Electrostatic 

Precipitators (ESP)

Non-Mercury Metals FF or ESP

Dioxins & Furans Work Practice Standards 

Acid Gases FGD, Dry Sorbent Injection (DSI), DSI with FF or ESP

Sulfur Dioxide FGD or DSI
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

Benefits of MATS

• The benefits are widely distributed and are especially important to 

minority and low income populations who are disproportionately 

impacted by asthma and other debilitating health conditions

• Up to 540,000 missed work or "sick" days will be avoided each year, 

enhancing productivity and lowering health care costs for American 

families

• Improving the quality of rivers, lakes, and fish

• Improving visibility in areas impacted by power plants
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

MATS Implementation Timeframe

• MATS effective date was April 16, 2012

• Existing sources generally will have up to 4 years from the effective date 

if they need it to comply with MATS

• Includes the 3 years provided to all sources by the Clean Air Act (April 

2015)

• Section 112(i)(3)(B) of the Clean Air Act, Title V, permit authorities to 

grant an additional year (April 2016) as needed for technology 

installation (controls)
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

MATS Implementation Timeframe

• EPA also provides with up to one additional year to achieve compliance 

under Section 113(a) Administrative Orders (AO)

• The EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance issued a 

memo allowing an additional year after the 4th year granted by 

Section 112(i)(3)(B), Clean Air Act, Title V to address a specific and 

reliability concern in order to reach compliance with MATS

• EPA will assess each situation on a case-by-case basis to determine 

the appropriate enforcement response and resolution

• A source that qualifies for one year extension under section 

112(i)(3)(B) may also qualify for an AO at the end of the extension

• The memo describes the eligibility criteria for this extension
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

PREPA’s Compliance Strategy

PREPA alleges that it requested a 1 year extension to comply with MATS 

based on document submitted in April 16, 2013
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

PREPA’s Plans...

• Conversion to natural gas to reduce oil dependence and comply with 

MATS rule • Compliance 

projection date: 

2017

• Regardless, an 

extension will be 

necessary 

• Available 

compliance costs 

estimate: $631M to 

$1,260M
Clean Power Plan 

CAA Section 111(d)

Reducing Carbon Pollution 

From Existing Power Plants

Proposal
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

President’s Climate Action Plan

• On June 25, 2013, the President introduced a Climate Action Plan. 

• The Plan:

• Reduces carbon pollution 

• Builds 21st century transportation sector

• Cuts energy waste

• Reduces methane and HFCs

• Prepares the U.S. for climate change

• Puts U.S. in lead internationally
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

The Power Sector is the Largest Source 

of GHG Emissions in the U.S.
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

Reducing Carbon Pollution 

From Power Plants

The EPA’s Role:

Develop carbon pollution standards for:

1. New power plants

• Proposed: January 8, 2014

• Comment Period Closed: March 10, 2014

• Final: January 2015

2. Modified and reconstructed power plants

• Proposal: June 2, 2014 

• Comment Period Closes: October 16, 2014

• Final: June 2015

3. Existing power plants (Clean Power Plan)

• Proposed Guidelines: June 2, 2014 

• Comment Period Closes: December 1, 2014

• Final Guidelines: June 2015

• State Plans due: June 2016
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

Summary of Proposal

The Clean Power Plan proposal will: 

• Reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants for first time ever.

• Maintain an affordable, reliable energy system.

• By 2030, reduce nationwide carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power 

plants by approximately 30% from 2005 levels.

• Significant reductions begin by 2020. 

• Cut hundreds of thousands of tons of harmful particle pollution, sulfur 

dioxide and nitrogen oxides as a co-benefit. 

• From soot and smog reductions alone, for every dollar invested through 

the Clean Power Plan – American families will see up to $7 in health 

benefits. 

• Lead to health and climate benefits worth an estimated $55 billion to 

$93 billion in 2030.
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

EPA Establishes a Goal for Every State

• Practical and affordable strategies that states and utilities are already using. 

• The goals are based on a consistent national formula, calculated with state and regional 

specific information. 

• Each state goal is a rate – a statewide number for the future carbon intensity of covered 

existing fossil-fuel-fired power plants in a state.

• Encompasses the dynamic variables that ultimately determine how much carbon 

pollution is emitted by fossil fuel power plants.

• Accommodates the fact that CO2 emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants are 

influenced by how efficiently they operate and by how much they operate. 

• Goals account for the mix of power sources in each state and the application of the “building 

blocks” that make up the best system of emission reduction.

• States will need to meet an interim goal (beginning in 2020) and a final goal (2030).
PUPR - Hato Rey

November 21, 2014

Mercury and Air Toxics 

Standards Overview

Best System of Emission 

Reduction Building Blocks
Questions?

José Font 

US EPA R2 CEPD

787-977-5815

font.jose@epa.gov

US Environmental Protection Agency

Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) 

Standards Overview

José Font

Questions?