The Environmental Quality Board this week approved a motion to allow the Department of Environmental Protection to move ahead with developing a Pennsylvania-only rule limiting mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants.

The motion was amended to direct DEP to include a variety of stakeholders in the “enhanced” stakeholder process DEP said it would use to develop the rule. The groups include the United Mine Workers, IBEW, electric generators, the PA Coal Association, Chemical Industry Council and others.

DEP did not set a specific timetable for developing the rule, but under normal EQB procedures a proposal is due to the Board by November.

The mercury rule was the result of a rulemaking petition submitted to the Board by PennFuture and other groups in August of last year calling for a 90 percent reduction in mercury emissions.

Since that time the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued its first-ever rule to reduce mercury emissions from power plant nationwide. The rule is estimated to reduce mercury emissions in Pennsylvania by 86 percent.

Mercury emissions would drop from 4.9 tons to 1.7 tons in 2010, and to 0.7 tons (about 1400 pounds) in 2018.

Several unions, the PA Coal Association and electric generators and three of the four Chairs of the Senate and House Environmental Resources and Energy Committees have taken issue with the Pennsylvania-only approach saying mercury is a global problem needing a global and national solution and that imposing costs on the generation industry for what they see as marginal gains in mercury emission reductions threatened jobs in the now competitive electricity market.

The groups also pointed out that Pennsylvania coal would be significantly disadvantaged by a Pennsylvania-only rule, much more than under the federal rule.

Since 1990 mercury emissions have dropped 45 percent in the United States due to tougher controls on waste incinerators. Globally, mercury emissions from power plants make up about 1 percent of mercury emissions.

Several efforts are underway in the state to reduce direct mercury exposures to people.

Over the last five years local mercury collection events have resulted in thousands of pounds of mercury being turned in for recycling from basements, garages, high school labs and other sources.

New legislation—Senate Bill 524-- sponsored by Senators Ray Musto (D-Luzerne) and Mary Jo White (R-Venango) hopes to collect an estimated 800 pounds of mercury a year from switches in junked cars.

For more information, visit DEP’s mercury webpage and the EQB August meeting webpage for information on the rulemaking petition.

NewsClips: State to Seek Tougher Mercury Standard Than Feds

Rendell Administration Gets Support for Tougher Mercury Rule

Op-Ed: Don’t Impose Mercury Limits that Will Cost PA Jobs

Editorial: Take A Hard Stance on Mercury Rule

DEP to Develop Site Specific Mercury Rule

EQB Action on Mercury Rule Praised

8/19/2005