Summary of Proposed NESHAP for Coal- and Oil-Fired EGUs: Reconsideration of Supplemental Finding and Residual Risk and Technology Review
12/29/2018
UPDATED
Issue Brief
On February 7, 2019, EPA published the proposed NESHAP for Coal- and Oil-Fired EGUs - Reconsideration of Supplemental Finding and Residual Risk and Technology Review (Proposed Reconsideration), which had been signed by the Administrator on December 26, 2018, in the Federal Register. The Proposed Reconsideration finds that it is not “appropriate and necessary” to regulate hazardous air pollution (HAP) emissions from coal- and oil-fired electric utility steam generating units (EGUs). Thus, EPA is proposing to reverse its original finding of appropriate and necessary from 2000 that it affirmed in 2012 and 2016 and instead find that the costs of such regulation “grossly outweigh the HAP benefits.” EPA is also proposing that this action will not remove coal- and oil-fired EGUs from the section 112(c)(1) list and will not affect the existing 112(d) regulations for coal- and oil-fired EUGs finalized in 2012, the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS). However, EPA is requesting comment on alternatives that would rescind MATS.
Comments on the proposal are due April 17, 2019.
UPDATE (February 27, 2019): This summary was updated to reflect the proposal's date of publication in the Federal Register and the revised deadline for public comment.