NESCAUM Report Shows That Coal Plants Have the Tools to Comply With New Clean Air Rules

M.J. Bradley & Associates LLC (MJB&A) provided technical and consulting support to the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) for their report on pollution control technologies for coal-fired power plants.  

The report, Control Technologies to Reduce Conventional and Hazardous Air Pollutants from Coal-Fired Power Plants, prepared by James E.  Staudt, Ph.D., Andover Technology Partners and M.J. Bradley & Associates LLC, details the proven, commercially available emission control technologies, including scrubbers, baghouses and dry sorbent injection, which will enable coal-fired power plants to comply with two major rules recently proposed by the EPA to control air pollution and protect public health-the Transport Rule and the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards ("Air Toxics Rule").

Among the report's key findings:

• The electric power sector has extensive experience installing and operating advanced pollution control systems. The first scrubber to reduce sulfur oxides was installed in 1968. The first catalyst system to reduce nitrogen oxides (NO_X) was installed in 1993. Over the intervening years, many coal plants have now installed modern controls.
• Modern pollution controls can dramatically reduce toxic air emissions, including mercury-by 90 percent or more.
• The electric power sector has demonstrated that it is capable of planning for and installing pollution controls on a large portion of the nation's generating capacity in a relatively short period of time.  Between 2008 and 2010, the industry added about 60 gigawatts (GW) of scrubbers and 20 GW of NO_X catalyst systems.
• Labor and technology organizations are confident that they have the capacity to install the necessary controls on the schedules required by EPA's rules.

A range of control options are available for companies to cost-effectively comply with EPA's rules.

"Electric companies are well-equipped to implement cost-effective compliance solutions without impacting the reliability of the electric system," said Michael J.  Bradley, President of M.J. Bradley & Associates.  "The electric industry has known for over a decade that these rules were coming.  Timing is just not a viable excuse to delay implementing rules that will generate important health benefits."

A copy of the report is available here.

About NESCAUM

NESCAUM is a nonprofit association of air quality agencies in the Northeast.  Its Board of Directors consists of the air directors of the six New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont), New Jersey, and New York.  NESCAUM provides scientific, technical, analytical, and policy support to the air quality and climate programs of the eight northeast states, including assistance with the implementation of national environmental programs required under the Clean Air Act and other federal legislation.

About M.J. Bradley & Associates LLC

M.J.  Bradley & Associates assists private industry, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies in the strategic assessment of environmental and energy policies, programs, and technologies.  They provide clients with high-quality information and services and facilitate innovative collaborations among various stakeholders.  Their team has extensive experience in energy markets, environmental policy, law, engineering, economics and business.  

About Andover Technology Partners

Dr.  Staudt, President of Andover Technology Partners (ATP), is an internationally recognized expert on air pollution control technology.  ATP works with industry and government clients on energy and environmental matters, addressing their most difficult technology and business challenges.  ATP's clients include facility owners, government agencies, technology suppliers, and the investment community.