EPA proposes rule with huge costs and no visible benefits
If EPA's proposed rule is approved, it could cost consumers hundreds of millions of dollars and require a technology that may not work with lignite coal.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative
- September 9, 2011
On Sept. 1, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its proposal to partially disapprove North Dakota’s State Implementation Plan (SIP) for addressing regional haze. This action, if approved, could have costly implications for the region’s electric consumers.
EPA is proposing a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) to replace portions of the SIP that outlines requirements for removal of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from power plants in the state. EPA disapproves of the plan North Dakota developed, which addresses NOx at a much lower cost with comparable visibility improvements, said Lyle Witham, Basin Electric manager of environmental services. “The issue is regional haze, which focuses on visibility conditions in national parks and wilderness areas. EPA is trying to force a technology that, when tested, did not work for a miniscule visibility improvement that the human eye can’t detect – at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. How much sense does that make?” Witham said. To learn more, read “EPA is stepping on states’ toes,” http://bit.ly/EPAOverstepping.
According to ND Department of Health studies, the visibility differences between the state’s plan and EPA’s plan would be unnoticeable to the human eye. "The purpose of regional haze is to address visibility, not health, but health is not an issue either, contrary to what the EPA and environmental groups are claiming," Witham said. In 2010, the American Lung Association ranked Mercer County (home to several coal-based power plants in North Dakota) as one of the 25 cleanest counties in the United States. Billings County, home to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, is the third cleanest.
“EPA’s proposal would require installing selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology on facilities in the state,” Witham said. “If approved, that action would cost consumers hundreds of millions of dollars for no visible benefit, and would force the use of a technology that’s never been proven to work with lignite coal.” If fact, in the only time SCR technology has been tested on North Dakota coal, the pilot study testing the technology failed after two months.
Once the EPA’s notice to disapprove North Dakota’s plan is published in the Federal Register, a 60-day comment period will begin. To keep updated on when this will happen, register at www.stopEPAnd.com and like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/StopEPAND. In addition, consumers will have an opportunity to make their voice heard on this issue. A form will be available on www.stopEPAnd.com making it easy for individuals to submit a letter disapproving of EPA’s actions.
A public hearing for the proposal is scheduled to be held Oct. 13 at the Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library, Meeting Room A, 515 North 5th Street, Bismarck, ND. The hearing will be held from 3 p.m.-5 p.m., and again from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to attend. Read EPA’s proposed rule: http://1.usa.gov/NDFIP.
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