mercury and air toxics standards Archives

Sep 5, 2018

Trump Administration Continues to Ease Regulations on Coal Plants

On Wednesday, August 29th, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it was reconsidering an Obama-era rule on emissions of mercury from coal-fired plants. The 2011 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (“MATS”) rule requires certain power plants to reduce mercury emissions. 81 Fed. Reg. 20172 (April 6, 2016). According to the U.S. EPA, “[i]n 2000, after years of study, EPA issued a scientific and legal determination that it was ‘appropriate and necessary’ to control mercury emissions from power plants.” Click here to read the full article. (last visited 9/4/2018). MATS is viewed as accelerating the shut-down of coal-fired power plants. Other factors… Read more

Jun 30, 2015

Supreme Court Overturns D.C. Circuit Opinion on EPA MATS Regulations

On Monday, June 29, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 5-4 opinion in Michigan v. EPA, holding that the EPA must consider costs to the regulated industry in determining whether limiting mercury in power plant emissions is “appropriate and necessary”, in the words of the Clean Air Act. The decision reverses a ruling of the D.C. Circuit Court upholding EPA’s mercury regulation and sends the litigation back to the Circuit Court for further proceedings. The specific regulation at issue is known as MATS (mercury and air toxics standards) and requires power plants to comply with emission limits on mercury… Read more