Mats Emissions Standards

Coal and oil fired electric utility steam generating units also known as mats mercury and air toxics standards published in the federal register on may 3 2011 finalized and published in fr on february 16 2012 effective date.

Mats emissions standards.

Mats limits recently struck down by the us. Under the obama era mats rules the plants did not meet acid gas hazardous air pollutant emissions standards. In the united states the emission standards for non road diesel engines are published in the us code of federal regulations title 40 part 89 40 cfr part 89. All existing and new coal fired egus will now have numerical emissions limits for mercury particulate matter pm and hydrogen chloride hcl.

Emissions standards for particulate matter were first introduced in japan the us and western european nations in the early to mid 1900s. Since mats took effect in 2015 it has reduced mercury and other air. It is particularly dangerous for pregnant women and young children. Emissions standards set under the toxics program are federal air pollution limits that individual facilities must meet by a set date.

Mercury and air toxics standards mats limit the amount of mercury and other toxic emissions from power plants. Emissions from all non road engines are regulated by categories. Mercury is a powerful neurotoxin that ends up in the water and soil and concentrates up the food chain especially in fish. On april 9 the epa issued a final rule creating a subcategory for those plants.

May 22 2020 epa published a final revised supplemental cost finding for mats and the clean air act required risk and technology review. Standards for hazardous air pollutants. Tier 1 3 standards were adopted in 1994 and was phased in between 1996 and 2000 for engines over 37 kw 50 hp. While the obama era mercury and air toxics standards mats will remain in place the epa will change the way they calculate both the costs and benefits of emission control.

Today civil rights and environmental organizations represented by earthjustice sued trump s environmental protection agency for gutting the mercury and air toxics standards mats which regulate toxic emissions from coal and oil burning power plants. If the environmental protection agency epa were to reconsider or rescind the rule power. Under the mats several new emissions standards will be enforced including. The following decades found many countries also setting standards for particulate emissions including those in asia eastern europe australia and india.