Air Quality
EPA Finalizes Clean Air Interstate Rule
March 16, 2005
On March 10, 2005, Steve Johnson, Acting Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), signed the final Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). EPA expects the rule to achieve the largest reduction in air pollution since the Acid Rain Program reductions of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Initially proposed in January 2004, CAIR requires steep and sustained reductions in air pollution and concurrent health benefits by 2015.
The rule was finalized when Congress failed to pass the Clear Skies legislation out of committee on March 9. EPA is expected to finalize the Clean Air Mercury Rule on March 17. Together the two rules create a multi-pollutant strategy to reduce emissions throughout the U.S.
States have two compliance options to choose from. The first allows states to meet their emission budget by requiring power plants to participate in an EPA administered interstate cap-and-trade program that caps emissions in two stages. The second allows power plants to meet an individual state emissions budget through measures of the state’s own design. Both options are perceived as providing states with the tools to address air pollutants from power plants with a cost-effective approach, protecting public health and the environment without impeding the steady flow of affordable energy.
EPA officials anticipate that by 2015, CAIR will result in:
- Approximately $100 billion in annual health benefits including the prevention of 17,000 premature deaths, millions of lost work and school days, and tens of thousands non-fatal heart attacks and hospital admissions;
- Close to $2 billion in annual visibility benefits in southeastern national parks including the Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah; and
- Significant regional reductions in sulfur and nitrogen deposition, resulting in a reduced number of acidic lakes and streams in the eastern United States.
Over 450 counties in the eastern U.S. have failed to meet the EPA’s fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 8-hour ozone standards. Both sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) contribute to the formation of fine particles, while NOx contributes to the formation of ground level ozone.
The Clean Air Interstate Rule impacts 28 eastern states and the District of Columbia. The SO2 and NOx emissions of twenty-three states and the District of Columbia contribute to the non-attainment status for PM2.5 in downwind states. Elevated levels of NOx emissions in twenty-five of those states and the District of Columbia contribute to the non-attainment status for the 8-hour ozone standard in downwind states.
 Fine Particle and Ozone
 Ozone Only
 Fine Particle Only
 Not Affected by CAIR
The following chart outlines the results of EPA modeling that predicts emissions reduction results should states choose to meet their requirements by controlling power plant emissions through the EPA administered interstate cap-and-trade program.
|
|
1990 |
2003 |
2010* (SO2)
2009* (NOx) |
2015* |
2020* |
Full Implementation* |
|
SO2 |
15.7 million tons |
10.6 million tons |
6.1 million tons – 42% reduction |
5.0 million tons – 53% reduction |
4.3 million tons – 60% reduction |
3.5 million tons in emissions – 67% reduction |
|
NOx |
6.7 million tons |
4.2 million tons |
2.4 million tons – 42% reduction |
2.2 million tons – 48% reduction |
2.2 million tons – 48% reduction |
2.2 million tons – 48% reduction |
* Reduction levels are measured against 2003 emission levels for each pollutant.
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