A New EPA “Good Neighbor” Rule Seeks to Reduce Power Plant Downwind Emissions.

Ndira von Keller — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 01:56:54 +0000

A New EPA "Good Neighbor" Rule Seeks to Reduce Power Plant Downwind Emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced a new “good neighbor” rule that limits smokestack emissions from factories and other industrial sources that burden nearby neighborhoods with uncontrollable smog-causing pollutants. To enhance the quality of the air for millions of people living in areas downwind, nearly two dozen states will need to reduce dangerous industrial emissions of nitrogen oxide and other pollutants.

According to the EPA, the final rule, which went into effect on Wednesday, will avert millions of asthma attacks, thousands of deaths, and tens of thousands of hospital admissions. It will also cut down on sick days.

“Every neighborhood deserves to breathe clean air. The EPA Administrator, Michael Regan, stated that “we are aware that air pollution does not stop at state lines.

Power plants must comply with the rule by May, “locking in major emission reductions to ensure cleaner air and providing public health safeguards for individuals who have suffered far too long from air-quality related damage and illness,” according to Regan. In 2026, the restrictions on industrial locations go into force.

In addition to rules on wastewater pollution, mercury and air toxics, and rules anticipated on greenhouse gas emissions, the cross-state pollution rule “makes it impossible for utilities to make decisions based on the merits of what keeps the lights on, forcing those utilities to make decisions solely based on the EPA’s agenda,” Bernstein said.

Watch: Environmental: Proposed Changes to Protect American Families& Drinking Water.

According to the EPA, the rule offers power facilities choice in how to comply, including using scrubbers and established carbon trading systems.

Due to competition from cheap and readily available natural gas, falling prices for renewable energy, and environmental laws, the amount of electricity generated from coal in the United States has significantly decreased over the previous 15 years. According to the Energy Information Administration, many facilities have been shut down, and another 23% of the nation’s operating coal-powered fleet is planned to retire by 2029.

More than 123 million people lived in counties that frequently encountered dangerous ozone levels, according to a 2021 report by the lung association. By bringing on more hot, bright days that are ideal for raising ozone levels, climate change will probably make the issue worse.

Source: EPA.GOV

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Environmental: Proposed Changes to Protect American Families Drinking Water.

Ndira von Keller — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 00:46:41 +0000

Environmental: Proposed Changes to Protect American Families' Drinking Water.

The EPA is warning that two nonstick and stain-resistant compounds found in drinking water are more dangerous than previously thought, posing health risks even at levels so low that they cannot currently be detected, coined “Forever Chemicals”

Although PFOA and PFOS have been voluntarily phased out by American manufacturers, there are still certain uses for the chemicals, and because they do not degrade over time, they are still present in the environment. The substances are a subset of PFAS, a wider group of “forever chemicals” that have been present in industrial and consumer items since the 1940s.

This Monday, the EPA released a “quasi” health recommendations, replacing 2016 standards that had placed the health risk levels for PFOA and PFOS at 70 parts per trillion. Products including cardboard packing, carpets, and firefighting foam contain the chemicals.

What are PFOA, PFOS, and PFAS?

Both PFOA and PFOS… the man-made substances that were once employed in the production of many different consumer goods. While they temporarily ease life, they have severe negative long-term implications on both human and environmental health.

Perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate–more commonly referred to as PFOA and PFOS, respectively–are fluorinated organic compounds that are part of larger group of compounds known as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

These synthetic compounds are notorious for not being affected by lipids or water. PFOA and PFOS were widely employed to coat goods that were intended to be stain-resistant, waterproof, or non-stick (like DuPont’s Teflon) once production ramped up in the 1950s. While being practical, these highly fluorinated chemicals are linked to some major health issues. The fact that they linger in the environment for a very, very long time only serves to exacerbate their harmful impact on human health.

The will “Never Break Down” in the environment at all.

PFOA and PFOS in our Drinking Water

In 2016, PFOA contamination was discovered in 1% of samples taken from public drinking water systems around the country. Despite this, PFOA and PFOS levels in drinking water are not officially regulated by the EPA. The EPA did issue temporary health advisories for the substances in 2009.

For PFOS and PFOA in public water systems, the EPA upgraded the 2009 standards with lifelong health advisories in 2016.

Nico De Pasquale Photography / Getty Images

It informed towns that it was unsafe for drinking water sources to include levels of PFOA and PFOS (combined) above 70 ppt.

According to epidemiological data in human populations and ongoing research on laboratory animals, the EPA has hypothesized that exposure to PFOA and PFOS above a threshold may have the following effects on human health:

Effects on development
Cancer
Liver injury
autoimmune diseases
Thyroid dysfunction
Heart-related issues

How has Europe made similar changes?

There European started making similar changes back in 2020 as follows:

2020 saw the revision of the EU’s Drinking Water Directive to limit total PFAS to 500 ng/l.
The EU will prohibit the use of all PFAS in firefighting foams and other applications, only allowing their use in situations where they are actually necessary for society.
In order to work on PFAS remediation, the EU has asked for proposals under the Green Deal and is providing subsidies to encourage research.
According to research conducted in the UK between 2014 and 2019 on lakes, rivers, groundwaters, estuaries, and coastal waters, PFAS are widely distributed in English surface and groundwaters.
According to the UK Drinking Water Inspectorate’s findings, there have been no notifications of PFAS levels in drinking water that are higher than recommended.
PFAS are often examined using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.
Fluoride-containing compound screening can be done using combustion ion chromatography.
See more.

What is next?

With federal financial support, water companies that provide services to urban regions should be able to spread out costs with the aid of the federal government in a manner similar to that of an advocacy group that works to remove dangerous substances from food, water, clothing, and other products. There are currently PFAS drinking water limitations in place in a number of states.

The House passed legislation that would mandate the EPA to establish discharge limits for a number of companies suspected of discharging PFAS into the water and create a national threshold for PFAS in drinking water. In the Senate, the bill is deadlocked.

Source: Travis Long / Associated Press

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A New EPA “Good Neighbor” Rule Seeks to Reduce Power Plant Downwind Emissions.