Posted on 03/16/2011 4:09:41 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Environmental regulators proposed rules on Wednesday that would force aging coal-fired power plants to choose between installing costly anti-pollution technology or shutting, which could ensure reliance nuclear power and natural gas.
The Environmental Protection Agency said the proposed rules, once fully implemented, will prevent 91 percent of mercury in coal from being released into the air. Power plants would have four years to meet the standards.
The EPA will take public comment for 60 days on the rules, which would require many coal-fired power plants to install scrubbers and other technologies to reduce emissions of arsenic, chromium, nickel and acid gases in addition to mercury, which can damage nervous systems in babies.
"Generally anything that makes coal plants more expensive is a benefit to alternative forms of generation whether they be natural gas, nuclear, or hydropower," said Paul Patterson, an analyst at Glenrock and Associates LLC in New York.
What the final rules will look like after public comment is uncertain, he added.
Coal-fired plants generate nearly 50 percent of U.S. electricity while nuclear and natural gas generate about 20 percent each.
Issuance of the rules, 20 years in the making, came in response to a court deadline.
"With the help of existing technologies we will be able to take reasonable steps that will provide dramatic protections to our children and loved ones, preventing premature deaths, heart attacks and asthma attacks," said Lisa Jackson, the EPA administrator.
She said the rules could prevent as many as 17,000 premature deaths and 11,000 heart attacks each year.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Deja Vu??
There’s another cost savings.....defund the EPA
“As CNSNews.com has reported, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has made environmental justice a top priority for her agency. “
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2656249/posts
Credibility is like virginity. Once you lose it, you can never get it back.
JUST WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW ISN’T IT? MORE REGULATION AND MORE EXPENSIVE ENERGY. IDIOTS.
This sure looks like a deliberate choking down of the economy.
There are obviously way too many people working for the EPA.
Now where is that new Congress when you need them?
Defund the EPA NOW!
Phase in cleaner generating power over a long period of time without costing jobs.
These guys really want to keep stabbing the corpse that’s the US economy. They must be SCARED TO DEATH that the US, under a future president, will get back on its feet and restore itself to superpower status.
They will not stop at ANYTHING...and they have nearly 2 more years.
Just about the stupidest time in history for the EPA to again attack coal.
Obama pledged in his campaign to shut down coal. (In other words, he’s in the pocket of Arab Oil.)
“She said the rules could prevent as many as 17,000 premature deaths and 11,000 heart attacks each year.”
Another figure pulled out of her ass.
The media says we are in a recovery? I personally don't know anyone that is doing as well as they were doing 5 years ago.
You know, Nixon should have been impeached.
Not for Watergate, but for the EPA, CETA, and completely removing us from the gold standard.
“Generally anything that makes coal plants more expensive is a benefit to alternative forms of generation whether they be natural gas, nuclear, or hydropower,”
Don’t ya just wonder who has been putting their money
into these “alternative” forms?
No oil, no coal, no nuclear, no more natural gas [though very clean it is still a fossil fuel], destroy the dams “blocking” the rivers so no hydro, no windmills [block the view, bird Cuisinart], no desert solar plants [disrupt the mating habits of some obscure reptile or rodent].
No kerosene for lamps, definitely ditto for whale oil.
So, what form of concentrated energy will all of you “Friends of the Earth” permit us to use? Bicycle driven generators? Where does the bicycle come from, bicycle powered factories?
Yeah, they need to reserve the mercury for those light bulbs that shatter inside our homes.
(I left out all of the uh's and pauses, etc. of his quote)
No more money for the EPA and restrict ‘protection’ edicts from obama’s girl.
Hey all....ready to live in a Cave? that seems to be where they want to take us...
Perfect. Employment Prevention Agency imposes regulations that are just the absolute wrong thing to do. 100% wrong. We need to go back to regular coal and eliminate all these insane Liberal agencies
Just wait until everyone is paying .30 per/KH. Their work will be finished.
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