The Center is registered in EPA's Acid Rain Program (since 2003)
Some of the major accomplishments of the program through 2009
include: · Power plants have decreased emissions of SO2,
aprecursor to acid rain, to 5.7 million tons in 2009, a 67
percent decrease from 1980 levels and a 64 percent decrease from
1990levels.The Acid Rain Program was established under the 1990
Clean Air ActAmendments and requires significant emission
reductions of SO2 andnitrogen oxides (NOx) from the electric
power industry. The program sets a permanent cap on the total
amount of SO2 that may be emitted by electric generating units
in the United States, and includes provisions for trading and
banking emission allowances. The program is phased in, with this
year phasing in the final 2010 SO2 cap set at 8.95 milliontons,
a level of about one-half of the emissions from the power
sectorin 1980. More information on the Acid Rain Program (EPA) ·
Air quality has improved; the average amount of ambientSO2
decreased 76 percent between 1980 a