On March 15, 2005, US EPA issued the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR) to permanently cap and reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants for the first time ever. This rule makes the United States the first country in the world to regulate mercury emissions from utilities.
- Final Rule; Preamble (pdf, 229pp., 295kB): Standards of Performance for New and Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Steam Generating Units.
- Final Rule; Regulatory Text (pdf, 291pp., 436 kB): Standards of Performance for New and Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Steam Generating Units.
- Final Rule; Revision (pdf, 210pp., 369kB): Revision of December 2000 Regulatory Finding on the Emissions of Hazardous Air Pollutants from Electric Utility Steam Generating Units and the Removal of Coal- and Oil-fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units from the Section 112(c) list.
CAMR highlights include:
- Revision of Subpart Da of 40 CFR Part 60 to include mercury emissions limits in addition to the trading program caps for units constructed on or before January 30, 2004. Emission limits are set according to fuel type, and compliance is determined based on 12-month rolling averages;
- Addition of Subpart HHHH of 40 CFR Part 60 which establishes provisions for the mercury budget trading program for coal-fired utility boilers;
- Addition of Performance Specification 12A for mercury CEMS to Appendix B of 40 CFR Part 60;
- Revision to 40 CFR Part 75 to include mercury monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements. This includes missing data substitution procedures, QA/QC requirements, and quarterly reporting;
- Addition of Subpart I of 40 CFR Part 75 which establishes mercury mass emission provisions; and
- Addition of Appendix K of 40 CFR Part 75 which establishes the procedures for operating a sorbent trap monitoring system to determine mercury mass emissions.