HP1035, LD 1482, item 1, An Act to Amend Mercury Standards for Air Emission Sources

An Act to Amend Mercury Standards for Air Emission Sources

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 38 MRSA §585-B, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2005, c. 590, §1, is further amended to read:

5. Standards for mercury. Notwithstanding subsection 1, an air emission source may not emit mercury in excess of 45.4 kilograms, or 100 pounds, per year after January 1, 2000; 22.7 kilograms, or 50 pounds, per year after January 1, 2004; 15.9 kilograms, or 35 pounds, after January 1, 2007; and 11.4 kilograms, or 25 pounds, after January 1, 2010. As an alternative to not emitting mercury in excess of 11.4 kilograms, or 25 pounds, after January 1, 2010, an air emission source may reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent by weight after January 1, 2010. Compliance with these limits must be specified in the license of the air emission source. The board shall establish by rule testing protocols and measurement methods for emissions sources for which the board has not established such protocols and methods for determining compliance with the emission standard for mercury. These rules are routine technical rules under Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

An air emission source may apply to the board for an extension or modification of the 11.4-kilogram, or 25-pound, limit as follows.

A. An emission source may submit an application to the board no later than January 1, 2009 for a 6-month extension of the January 1, 2010 deadline to meet the 11.4-kilogram, or 25-pound, limit. The board shall grant the extension if the board determines, based on information presented by the source, that compliance with the limit is not achievable by the deadline due to engineering constraints, availability of equipment or other justifiable technical reasons.

B. An emission source may submit an application to the board no later than January 1, 2009 for a license modification establishing an alternative emission limit for mercury. The board shall grant the license modification if the board finds that the proposed mercury emission limit meets the most stringent emission limitation that is achievable and compatible with that class of source, considering economic feasibility.

Pending a decision on an application for an extension or a license modification under this subsection, the 15.9-kilogram, or 35-pound, limit applies to the emission source.

Notwithstanding the January 1, 2000 compliance date in this subsection, a resource recovery facility that is subject to an emissions limit for mercury adopted by rule by the board before January 1, 2000 shall comply with the 45.4-kilogram, or 100-pound, mercury emissions limit after December 19, 2000.

Sec. 2. 38 MRSA §585-B, sub-§6, as corrected by RR 2005, c. 2, §24, is amended to read:

6. Mercury reduction plans. Any air emission source emitting mercury in excess of 10 pounds per year after January 1, 2007 must develop a mercury reduction plan. The mercury reduction plan must be submitted to the department no later than September 1, 2008. The mercury reduction plan must contain:

A. Identification, characterization and accounting of the mercury used or released at the emission source; and

B. Identification, analysis and evaluation of any appropriate technologies, procedures, processes, equipment or production changes that may be utilized by the emission source to reduce the amount of mercury used or released by that emission source, including a financial analysis of the costs and benefits of reducing the amount of mercury used or released.

The department may keep information submitted to the department under this subsection confidential as provided under section 1310-B.

The department shall submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over natural resources matters no later than March 1, 2009 summarizing the mercury emissions and mercury reduction potential from those emission sources subject to this subsection. In addition, the department shall include an evaluation of the appropriateness of the 25-pound mercury standard established in subsection 5. The evaluation must address, but is not limited to, the technological feasibility, cost and schedule of achieving the standards established in subsection 5. The department shall submit an updated report to the committee by January 1, 2010. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over natural resources matters is authorized to report out to the 124th Legislature legislation relating to the evaluation and the updated report.

summary

This bill is submitted by the Joint Standing Committee on Natural Resources pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 585-B, subsection 6. The bill provides an alternative method for an air emission source to comply with mercury standards. It also directs the Department of Environmental Protection to submit an updated report relating to mercury emissions and standards and authorizes the committee to report out legislation to the 124th Legislature in connection with the updated report.

HP1035 LD 1482	First Regular Session - 124th Maine Legislature Text: MS-Word, RTF or PDF		LR 2002 Item 1
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