Clean Air Mercury Rule | US EPA

www.epa.gov /camr/ 1/2

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful for historical purposes. See

http://www.epa.gov/airquality/powerplanttoxics/ for information about standards to limit mercury, acid

gases and other toxic pollution from power plants.

Notice

March 2011

EPA has proposed standards

to limit mercury, acid gases

and other toxic pollution from

power plants. This rule will

replace the court-vacated

Clean Air Mercury Rule.

You are here: EPA Home Air and Radiation Clean Air Mercury Rule

EPA is developing air toxics emissions standards for power plants

under the Clean Air Act (Section 112), consistent with the D.C.

Circuit’s opinion (PDF) (18pp, 51k, about PDF) regarding the Clean Air

Mercury Rule (CAMR). EPA intends to propose air toxics standards

for coal- and oil-fired electric generating units by March 16, 2011

and finalize a rule by November 16, 2011. Additional details

On December 24, 2009, EPA approved an Information Collection

Request (ICR) requiring all US power plants with coal-or oil-fired electric generating units to

submit emissions information for use in developing air toxics emissions standards. Additional

details

History

On February 6, 2009, the Department of Justice, on behalf of EPA, asked the Supreme Court to

dismiss EPA’s request (petition for certiorari) that the Court review the D.C. Circuit Court’s

vacatur of the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR). Read the Acting Solicitor General’s motion (PDF).

(2pp, 13k, about PDF)

On February 23, 2009, the Court also denied the Utility Air Regulatory Group’s request to review

the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision.

On March 10, 2005, in a separate but related action, EPA issued the Clean Air Interstate Rule

(CAIR), which the D.C. Circuit remanded without vacatur on December 23, 2008. Read the court

decision (PDF) (4pp, 22k, about PDF)

On March 15, 2005, EPA issued the Clean Air Mercury Rule to permanently cap and reduce

mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants for the first time ever.

On February 8, 2008, the D.C. Circuit vacated EPA's rule removing power plants from the Clean

Air Act list of sources of hazardous air pollutants. At the same time, the Court vacated the Clean

Air Mercury Rule. Read the Court's Opinion (PDF) (18pp, 51k, about PDF)

Where to find more information:

Basic Information - Summary of the final Clean Air Mercury Rule as well as a summary of the

design of the program and the benefits it will provide.

Regulatory Actions - Links to proposed and final rules, fact sheets, and other rulemaking

documents.

Clean Air Mercury Rule

http://www.epa.gov/camr/

Last updated on Wednesday, March 16, 2011
10/3/12 Clean Air Mercury Rule | US EPA

www.epa.gov /camr/ 2/2

Charts and Tables - A collection of printable charts, tables, and graphics demonstrating the

health and environmental benefits of the Clean Air Mercury Rule.

Technical Information - Technical support information and links to related information.

Mercury Home - Provides a broad range of information: actions by EPA and others, including

international actions; effects on people and the environment; and how to protect you and your

family.
10/3/12 Basic Inf ormation | Clean Air Mercury Rule | US EPA

www.epa.gov /camr/basic.html 1/2

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful for historical purposes. See

http://www.epa.gov/airquality/powerplanttoxics/ for information about standards to limit mercury, acid

gases and other toxic pollution from power plants.

Notice

March 2011

EPA has proposed standards

to limit mercury, acid gases

and other toxic pollution from

power plants. This rule will

replace the court-vacated

Clean Air Mercury Rule.

You are here: EPA Home Air and Radiation Clean Air Mercury Rule Basic Information

Basic Information

Mercury and Fish

Revision of December 2000 Finding

Cap and Trade Basics

For More Information

EPA Press Release

On March 15, 2005, EPA issued a rule to permanently cap and reduce mercury emissions from

coal-fired power plants.

The Clean Air Mercury Rule was built on EPA’s Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) to

significantly reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants -- the largest remaining

sources of mercury emissions in the country. The goal of these rules regarding mercury

was to reduce utility emissions of mercury from 48 tons a year to 15 tons, a reduction of

nearly 70 percent.

The Clean Air Mercury Rule establishes “standards of performance” limiting mercury

emissions from new and existing coal-fired power plants and creates a market-based capand-trade program to reduce nationwide utility emissions of mercury in two distinct

phases. The first phase cap is 38 tons. In the second phase, due in 2018, coal-fired

power plants will be subject to a second cap, which will reduce emissions to 15 tons upon

full implementation.

New coal-fired power plants (“new” means construction starting on or after Jan. 30,

2004) will have to meet stringent new source performance standards in addition to being

subject to the caps.

Mercury is a toxic, persistent pollutant that accumulates in the food chain. Mercury in the

air is a global problem. While fossil fuel-fired power plants are the largest remaining source

of human-generated mercury emissions in the United States.

The Clean Air Mercury Rule is expected to make reductions in emissions that are

transported regionally and deposited domestically, and it will reduce emissions that

contribute to atmospheric mercury worldwide.

Mercury and Fish

Concentrations of mercury in the air are usually low. However, atmospheric mercury falls

to Earth through rain, snow and dry deposition and enters lakes, rivers and estuaries.

Once there, it can transform into, methylmercury, and can build up in fish tissue.

Americans are exposed to methylmercury primarily by eating contaminated fish. Because

the developing fetus is the most sensitive to the toxic effects of methylmercury, women

of childbearing age are regarded as the population of greatest concern. Children who are

exposed to methylmercury before birth may be at increased risk of poor performance on

Clean Air Mercury Rule

http://www.epa.gov/camr/basic.html

Last updated on Wednesday, March 16, 2011
10/3/12 Basic Inf ormation | Clean Air Mercury Rule | US EPA

www.epa.gov /camr/basic.html 2/2

exposed to methylmercury before birth may be at increased risk of poor performance on

neurobehavioral tasks, such as those measuring attention, fine motor function, language

skills, visual-spatial abilities and verbal memory.

Revison of December 2000 Finding

Also on March 15, 2005, in a separate but related action, EPA revised and reversed its

December 2000 finding that it was “appropriate and necessary” to regulate coal- and oilfired coal-fired power plants under section 112 of the Clean Air Act.

EPA has issued two complementary rules – CAIR and the Clean Air Mercury Rule, issued

under sections 110(a)(2)(D) and 111 of the law, respectively. These rules will allow us to

limit mercury emissions from these plants.

Cap and Trade Basics

The Clean Air Mercury Rule established a cap-and-trade system for mercury that is based

on EPA’s proven Acid Rain Program. The Acid Rain Program has produced demonstrable

results, reducing SO2 emissions faster and at far lower costs than anticipated, and

resulting in wide-ranging environmental improvements.

In the Clean Air Mercury Rule, EPA has assigned each state and two tribes an emissions

“budget” for mercury, and each state must submit a State Plan revision detailing how it

will meet its budget for reducing mercury from coal-fired power plants. Two tribes that

have coal-fired power plants that will be affected by this rule also have been assigned a

mercury emissions budget.

The Clean Air Mercury Rule contained stringent emission monitoring and reporting

requirements ensure that monitored data are accurate, that reporting is consistent among

sources – and that the emission reductions occur.

For More Information

More information about mercury, EPA’s efforts to reduce mercury emissions, and today’s

rule is available at www.epa.gov/mercury.

More information about EPA/FDA’s fish advisory go to Web site

www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html