EPA Amends Clean Air Act MATS Electronic Reporting Requirements

In a Final Rule posted to the Federal Register on April 6, 2017 and effective immediately, US EPA amended the electronic reporting requirements under its Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) program.The updated electronic reporting requirements will allow for temporary submission of certain reports in PDF format until June 30, 2018 and allow power plant owners/operators to correct inadvertent errors.

This will “allow the EPA the necessary time to develop, implement, and test” MATS reporting functions in the Emissions Collection and Monitoring Plan System (ECMPS) online tool.
 

What Is the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule?

Initially published in February 2012, the “MATS Rule” added coal- and oil-fired electricity generating units (EGUs), i.e., power plants, to the list of “major sources of air pollution” and introduced Nation Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) for these facilities.

States challenged the Final Rule in court, and in the case Michigan v. EPA, the court decided that “EPA strayed well beyond the bounds of reasonable interpretation in concluding that cost is not a factor relevant to the appropriateness of regulated power plants.”

After losing the court battle, US EPA published a supplemental finding in the Federal Register in December 2015 defending its Final Rule and the Agency’s authority to regulate air emissions from power plants regardless of the cost implications to industry. 

Then, in March 2016, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of US EPA and declined to block implementation of the Final Rule.
 

New Clean Air Act Training for EHS Pros 

Keep your facility in compliance with all the US EPA’s Clean Air Act programs! The Clean Air Act Regulations will guide you through compliance with permit requirements, emissions and pollution controls, annual greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting, Risk Management Planning (RMP) responsibilities, and more. 

Build the expertise needed to make informed on-the-job decisions that help your site control pollution and maintain compliance. Interactive, easy to use, and available 24/7, the new online course will help you get up to speed with new and changing EPA clean air rules and protect your facility from costly EPA enforcement.
 

Tags: Act, Air, Clean, EPA, MATS, new rules