EPA Proposes Revised Emissions Limits for Industrial Boilers
Dec. 2 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency revised its proposed emissions limits for industrial boilers, saying the changes provided more flexibility.
The agency today issued the latest version of its plan to reduce emissions levels for air pollution such as mercury and soot after announcing the rule Feb. 21. With the latest changes, the standards will affect less than 1 percent of boilers in the U.S. and will cost about $1.5 billion less than a 2010 proposal, the agency said in an e-mailed statement.
The rule, which may require upgrades of pollution controls at paper mills, chemical manufacturers and refineries, may cost $3 billion, President Barack Obama said in an Aug. 30 letter to Republican House Speaker John Boehner. The EPA proposed the rule in February on orders of a federal court. The agency said May 16 that it would delay implementation, giving the public more time to comment.
The EPA is proposing “more flexible compliance options for meeting the particle pollution and carbon monoxide limits,” the agency said in the statement.
by Reuters The Obama administration scaled back on demands for heavy industrial boilers to cut toxic air emissions, a sign it may be willing to compromise with businesses and Republicans on future air pollution rules. The Environmental Protection