EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, mercury emissions In
December 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
proposed a rule for mercury emissions from power plants and
issued a final rule for mercury emissions from chlor-alkali
facilities. Regarding power plants, EPA had previously found
that mercury posed the most serious threat among the hazardous
air pollutants emitted by power plants, and also that regulation
of mercury from power plants was appropriate and necessary under
section 112 of the Clean Air Act, which requires stringent
technology-based regulation for hazardous air pollutants.
Despite section 112's clear rejection of emissions trading as a
compliance option, EPA has proposed to allow commercial trading
in this highly toxic substance. In addressing mercury from
chlor-alkali plants, EPA admitted that approximately 65 tons of
mercury from these plants (more than the total emitted by U.S.
power plants) are unaccounted for, and allowed the plants using
the most antiquated technology to conti