Page 453 - Fundamentals of Air Pollution 3E

II. Titles 401

* Accidental Releases: Standards to prevent against accidental release of toxic
chemicals are required. EPA must establish a list of at least 100 chemicals and
threshold quantities. All facilities with these chemicals on site in excess of the
threshold quantities would be subject to the regulations which would include hazard
assessments and risk management plans. An independent chemical safety board
is established to investigate major accidents, conduct research, and promulgate
regulations for accidental release reporting.

Title IV: Acid Deposition Control
The EPA summary (4) of Title IV states the basics of the acid deposition
control amendments:

Acid deposition occurs when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions are
transformed in the atmosphere and return to the earth in rain, fog or snow. Approxi-
mately 20 million tons of SO 2 are emitted annually in the United States, mostly
from the burning of fossil fuels by electric utilities. Acid rain damages lakes, harms
forests and buildings, contributes to reduced visibility, and is suspected of damaging
health.
The new Clean Air Act will result in a permanent 10 million ton reduction in
sulfur dioxide (SO 2) emissions from 1980 levels. To achieve this, EPA will allocate
allowances of one ton of sulfur dioxide in two phases. The first phase, effective
January 1, 1995, requires 110 powerplants to reduce their emissions to a level
equivalent to the product of an emissions rate = (2.5 Ibs of SO 2/mm Btu) x (the
average mm Btu of their 1985-1987 fuel use). Plants that use certain control techno-
logies to meet their Phase I reduction requirements may receive a two year extension
of compliance until 1997. The new law also allows for a special allocation of 200,000
annual allowances per year each of the 5 years of Phase I to powerplants in Illinois,
Indiana and Ohio.
The second phase, becoming effective January 1, 2000, will require approximately
2000 utilities to reduce their emissions to a level equivalent to the product of an
emissions rate of (1.2 Ibs of SO 2/mm Btu) x (the average mm Btu of their 1985-1987
fuel use). In both phases, affected sources will be required to install systems that
continuously monitor emissions in order to track progress and assure compliance.
The new law allows utilities to trade allowances within their systems and/or buy or
sell allowances to and from other affected sources. Each source must have sufficient
allowances to cover its annual emissions. If not, the source is subject to a $2,000/
ton excess emissions fee and a requirement to offset the excess emissions in the
following year.
Nationwide, plants that emit SO 2 at a rate below 1.2 Ibs/mm Btu will be able to
increase emissions by 20% between a baseline year and 2000. Bonus allowances
will be distributed to accommodate growth by units in states with a statewide
average below 0.8 Ibs/mm Btu. Plants experiencing increases in their utilization in
the last five years also receive bonus allowances. 50,000 bonus allowances per year
are allocated to plants in 10 midwestern states that make reductions in Phase I.
Plants that repower with a qualifying clean coal technology may receive a 4 year
extension of the compliance date for Phase II emission limitations.
The new law also includes specific requirements for reducing emissions of nitro-
gen oxides, based on EPA regulations to be issued not later than mid-1992 for certain
boilers and 1997 for all remaining boilers.
Title IV represents legislation designed to reduce total SO 2 emissions by
approximately 50% over a 10-year period. Provisions of the title are designed