Search

Acid Rain Excess Emissions Penalty Adjusted for 2018

Posted on 10/30/2017 by Roger Marks

Acid-Rain-Blog.jpgAs required under Title IV of the Clean Air Act, every year, US EPA adjusts the penalty for excess emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides—the primary sources of acid rain. 

Using a cap-and-trade program, facilities must purchase emissions allowances to exceed EPA’s thresholds for SO2 and NOx emissions, as applicable. The SO2 limits apply primarily to electric utility facilities (power plants), while the NOx limits apply to coal-fired power plants. Facilities that exceed the emissions limits and do not own the emissions allowances to cover the excess must pay a per-ton fine. [40 CFR 77.6]   

Each year, EPA calculates the fines for excess SO2 and NOx emissions under the Acid Rain program using a formula found at 40 CFR 77.6(b):
 
Penalty for excess emissions of sulfur dioxide =
$2,000/ton × annual adjustment factor × tons of excess emissions of sulfur dioxide.
 
Penalty for excess emissions of nitrogen oxides =
$2,000/ton × annual adjustment factor × tons of excess emissions of nitrogen oxides.
 
For 2018, this works out to a penalty amount of $3,941 per ton of excess SO2 or NOx emissions. The “annual adjustment factor” correlates to the change in the Consumer Price Index since 1990 (the same year the Clean Air Act was amended to add the acid rain program).

To learn about EPA’s acid rain cap-and-trade program, and who can opt-in to the acid rain cap-and-trade program, read: How EPA’s Acid Rain Cap-and-Trade Program Works.


Complete EPA Training in North Jersey—Last Chance

In Sparta, NJ on November 6—7, build the expertise you need to navigate and comply with US EPA’s major air, water, and chemical programs. Leave this two-day workshop ready to ask the right questions of leadership and personnel to make sure your facility is in full compliance with the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, TSCA, EPCRA, CERCLA, RCRA, and more.

Learn more here: Complete Environmental Regulations Workshop  

From the basic structure of 40 CFR requirements to the critical elements of each major EPA program, this two-day training is designed to give EHS professionals, managers, engineers, facility managers, corporate attorneys a full perspective on the EPA rules that impact business in the US.

Tags: acid, Clean Air Act, EPA, fines and penalties, new rules, rain

Find a Post

Compliance Archives

Lion - Quotes

The exercises in the DOT hazardous materials management course are especially helpful in evaluating your understanding of course information.

Morgan Bliss

Principal Industrial Hygienist

Well designed and thorough program. Excellent summary of requirements with references. Inclusion of regulations in hard copy form, as well as full electronic with state pertinent regulations included is a great bonus!

Oscar Fisher

EHS Manager

I really enjoy your workshops. Thank you for such a great program and all the help Lion has provided me over the years!

George Chatman

Hazardous Material Pharmacy Technician

Much better than my previous class with another company. The Lion instructor made sense, kept me awake and made me laugh!

Marti Severs

Enterprise Safety Manager

Very witty instructor, made the long times sitting bearable. One of the few training courses I can say I actually enjoyed.

John Hutchinson

Senior EHS Engineer

I have over 26 years of environmental compliance experience, and it has been some time since I have attended an environmental regulations workshop. I attended this course as preparation for EHS Audits for my six plants, and it was exactly what I was looking for.

Frank Sizemore

Director of Regulatory Affairs

Lion Technology workshops are amazing!! You always learn so much, and the instructors are fantastic.

Dorothy Rurak

Environmental Specialist

This is the best RCRA training I've experienced! I will be visiting Lion training again.

Cynthia L. Logsdon

Principal Environmental Engineer

I chose Lion's online webinar because it is simple, effective, and easily accessible.

Jeremy Bost

Environmental Health & Safety Technician

Excellent. I learned more in two days with Lion than at a 5-day program I took with another provider.

Francisco Gallardo

HES Technician

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

In-flight hazmat incidents can be disastrous. This guide gives 5 tips for first-time air shippers to consider before offering dangerous goods for transportation on passenger or cargo aircraft.

Latest Whitepaper

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.