José C. Font, Director Caribbean Environmental Protection Division US EPA Region 2 

# Mercury and Air Toxics Standards OverviewPUPR - 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 coal and 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 matterPUPR - 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 processesPUPR - Hato Rey November 21, 2014 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Overview 

# Emissions From Power PlantsPUPR - Hato Rey November 21, 2014 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Overview 

# How Emissions of Mercury Can Impact

Human Health and EcosystemsPUPR - 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

E missions (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 equipmentPUPR - 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 SO 2 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 categoryPUPR - 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 benefitsPUPR - 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 DSIPUPR - 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 plantsPUPR - 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 extensionPUPR - 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, 2013PUPR - 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

ProposalPUPR - 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 21 st 

### century transportation sector • Cuts energy waste • Reduces methane and HFCs 

### • Prepares the U.S. for climate change • Puts U.S. in lead internationallyPUPR - 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 2016PUPR - 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 (CO 2

### ) 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 CO 2 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?