EPA commits to set air pollution rules by 2011

[Chuck]

Installing scrubbers would reduce most emission of air toxins, including sulfur dioxide.

Kim Geiger and Jim Tankersley - LATIMES - Oct 24, 2009

The easier stuff - not CO2 --Ed.

The Environmental Protection Agency would require oil- and coal-burning power plants to dramatically reduce hazardous air pollution under an agreement announced Friday that ends a long-standing lawsuit filed by environmentalists.

The agreement -- which would probably boost electricity prices but could potentially save thousands of lives -- commits the EPA to set pollution standards by 2011 for the power plants that are responsible for nearly half of all emissions of mercury, which can harm brain development in fetuses and children.

Once the EPA sets the standards, many power plants would be forced to install pollution scrubbers that capture heavy metals such as mercury -- along with particulates such as soot. Currently, less than one-third of those plants employ scrubbers.... [Read More]

[nervousmini]

Its a shame it took nearly 20 years to get this done!

But at least the process is started and we can start cleaning up the power plants that are already in place and stop pumping all the mercury and sulphur dioxide out the stacks.

[PaleMelanesian]

Mercury? Sulphur? Yeah, we got 'em. In spades! Our local coal-burning plants are among the nation's worst for both of those. This can't happen soon enough.