Clean Air Act in US significantly reduces urban air toxics
Removal of toxics including benzene, mercury and lead quantified in EPA report
Substantial progress has been made in the US to reduce air toxics across the country since the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, reveals a report from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA released the report, the final of two reports on urban air toxics, to inform US Congress of progress in reducing public health risks as part of the US Clean Air Act.
Using national emissions and air quality data, the report states that, since 1990 across the US, there has been:
- a 66% reduction in benzene;
- a near 60% reduction in mercury from man-made sources including coal-fired power plants;
- an 84% decrease of lead in outdoor air;
- the removal of an estimated 1.5mn tonnes per year of air toxics like arsenic, benzene, lead and nickel from stationary sources and another 1.5mn tonnes per year (around 50%) of air toxics from mobile sources; and
- around 3mn tonnes per year of criteria pollutants, such as particulate matter and sulphur dioxide, have been reduced from cars and trucks as co-benefits of the air toxics reductions.
Focusing on energy, since 2005, EPA has taken steps to address air emissions from stationary sources that include major reductions from boilers, power plants, and Portland cement facilities. The 2011 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards are designed to prevent around 90% of the mercury in coal burned in power plants from being emitted to the air.
Additionally, the 2007 Mobile Source Air Toxics rule is projected to reduce toxics emitted from vehicles by 330,000 tonnes in 2030, including 61,000 tonnes of benzene, and VOC emissions (precursors to ozone and PM2.5) by over 1mn tonnes. The EPA expects reductions in air toxics from cars and trucks to grow to 80% by the year 2030 as newer, cleaner vehicles appear on the road.
Proposed updates to emission standards for petroleum refineries will target emissions from the 150 petroleum refineries across the US, and are designed to cut emissions of chemicals such as benzene, toluene and xylene by 5,600 tonnes per year.
News Item details
Journal title: Energy World
Keywords: Environment / Pollution - air pollution - air pollution control - air quality
Countries: USA -
Subjects: Policy and Governance, Power stations, Coal fired power stations, Pollutants, Pollution control, Particulate matter, Air quality, Ozone
