Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR)
Most Recent Action
On December 30th, a federal appeals court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency must delay implementation of the Cross State Air Pollution Rule pending the outcome of legal challenges to the case. The court has not yet scheduled a date for argument, but the projected date is sometime in April.
At the same time it release the final CSAPR rule, the EPA also issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking that would require six states — Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin — to make summertime NOX reductions under the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule ozone-season control program. The EPA finalized the supplemental rule on December 15, 2011.
Background
On May 12, 2005, the EPA issued the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), and on April 26, 2006, the EPA issued CAIR federal implementation plans (FIPs); these rules aimed to address the interstate transport of pollutants that contributed significantly to downwind nonattainment of the PM 2.5 and 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) established in July 1997.
In July 2008, the D.C. Circuit Court vacated CAIR and the CAIR FIPs. In December 2008, the Court remanded these rules without vacating them, keeping them in place temporarily while the EPA promulgated new rules. The Transport Rule replaces CAIR, utilizing approaches consistent with the Court’s opinion.
The EPA has determined that 12 states - Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia - contribute to nonattainment or maintenance concerns of the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 standard in Wisconsin. Wisconsin contributes to nonattainment or maintenance concerns of the 1997 eight-hour ozone standard in Michigan and to nonattainment or maintenance concerns of the 1997 annual PM2.5 standard in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio and to nonattainment or maintenance concerns of the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 standard in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.
At the same time it release the final CSAPR rule, the EPA also issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking that would require six states — Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin — to make summertime NOX reductions under the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule ozone-season control program. The EPA finalized the supplemental rule on December 15, 2011.
The final rule expanding the Cross State Air Pollution Rule is distinct from a separate package of “technical amendments” to CSAPR, which would alter the originally proposed emission budgets for Wisconsin and other states. Those technical amendments are still pending review at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
On December 30th, a federal appeals court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency must delay implementation of the Cross State Air Pollution Rule pending the outcome of legal challenges to the case. It is unclear how the court will ultimately rule in the case, EME Homer City Generation LP v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 11-1302. The legal standard for a stay suggests that the challengers are “likely to succeed on the merits” in the over all case. However, the legal questions in the case are very technical and wide-ranging, so a stay might mean that the court just wants more time to analyze the rule without changing the regulatory status quo. The court has not yet scheduled a date for argument, but the projected date is sometime in April 2012.
This rule is part of a group of rules known as the EPA's Regulatory Train Wreck.
Authority
The Clean Air Act’s (CAA) Section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I), also known as the “good neighbor” provision, requires states to prohibit emissions that contribute significantly to nonattainment in, or interfere with maintenance by, any other state with respect to any primary or secondary NAAQS.
Standard Under CSAPR
The rule requires 27 states, including Wisconsin, to improve air quality by reducing power plant emissions that cross state lines and contribute to nonattainment or maintenance concerns for ozone (O3) or fine particulate NAAQS. This rule supports attainment and maintenance for the 1997 eight-hour ozone standard, the 1997 annual fine particulate standard (15 ug/m3) and the 2006 24-hour fine particulate standard (35 ug/m3).
Utilities are provided emission allocations and must hold allocations for each ton of SO2 or NOx emissions. The EPA has provided default allocations, but states can provide different allocations through a State Implementation Plan (SIP). The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule allows for trading of emissions between utilities within the state and limited out of state trading. Compared to 2010, this rule will reduce Wisconsin's SO2 emissions by 63% (69,346 tons per year) and NOx emissions by 9% (2,891 tons per year).
The rule sets emissions caps, for sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). In Wisconsin, during 2012-2013, annual emissions may not exceed 79,480 tons for SO2, and 31,628 tons for NOx; ozone season NOx emissions may not exceed 13,704 tons. Beginning in 2014, Wisconsin's emission caps will be 40,126 tons annually for SO2, 30,398 tons annually for NOx, and 13,216 tons for NOx during the ozone season.
The EPA is adopting FIPs for each state covered by this rule. The EPA is encouraging states to replace these FIPs with State Implementation Plans (SIPs) starting as early as 2013.
The rule is expected to cost $800 million annually to implement, in addition to the roughly $1.6 billion per year in capital investments already under way as a result of CAIR.
At the same time it release the final CSAPR rule, the EPA also issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking that would require six states — Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin — to make summertime NOX reductions under the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule ozone-season control program. The EPA finalized the supplemental rule on December 15, 2011.
The final rule expanding the Cross State Air Pollution Rule is distinct from a separate package of “technical amendments” to CSAPR, which would alter the originally proposed emission budgets for Wisconsin and other states. Those technical amendments are still pending review at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Related Documents
EME Homer City Generation LP v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stay of the rule until case is decided, December 30, 2011
Supplemental Notice of Final Rulemaking, December 15, 2011
Fact Sheet, December 15, 2011
Proposed technical modifications, October 6, 2011
Statement on proposed revisions, October 6, 2011
Fact sheet on proposed revisions, October 6, 2011
Final Rule, July 6, 2011
Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, July 11, 2011
Final Rule Fact Sheet, July 18, 2011
Supplemental Notice Fact Sheet, July 2011
CSAPR Presentation created by the EPA, July 18, 2011
Press Release announcing the rule, July 7, 2011
Transport Rule & Utility MACT Increase Electricity Costs, National Economic Research Associates (NERA), May 2011
Public hearings were held on August 19, 26, and September 1, 2010.
Press Release announcing the proposed rule, July 6, 2010