In fact, this action already has begun, and over the next six months, EPA may cite as many as 25 large power plants and 20 refineries for violations. EPA further reports that almost 10,000 companies of the 30,000 filing for permit applications are reporting violations. Under this alternative scenario, a wave of new particulate control equipment would be installed over the next few years so that by the time particulate trading does take place, emissions already would be at estimated levels. There is yet another scenario which could alter the situation. EPA just released its air toxic report.
Utilities are the major source of many heavy metal emissions.
In fact, for some heavy metals, the utility industry is responsible for more than 90 percent of all stationary source emissions. Figure 2 shows certain particularly toxic heavy metals that are emitted by coal-fired power plants. The lesser quantity emission rate was a project undertaken by EPA soon after the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 were promulgated. It was developed to place a major source criterion for each of the very toxic metals. These toxic compounds are part of the discrete particulate emissions emanating from coal-fired boilers.