Mercury - Power Plant Regulations Update

Clean Wisconsin and several sporting groups petitioned the Department of Natural Resources in 2000 to make deep cuts, 90% by 2012, in mercury emissions from coal burning power plants. The ensuing 4 year process resulted in Wisconsin becoming just the third state in the nation to regulate mercury emissions from coal plants; the rules require utilities to reduce mercury 75% by 2015.

In January of 2007 Clean Wisconsin again petitioned the DNR to strengthen the mercury rules in the wake of weaker federal rules. The DNR proposed changing the regulations to make them consistent with the federal regulations which call for a 70% red of making reductions at their own plants. The utilities want the DNR to allow use of the federal trading program and support the weaker federal reduction schedule. Clean Wisconsin, sporting groups and other environmental groups are pushing the DNR to reject the uction by 2018; but the DNR proposal did not include the controversial trading program in the federal regulations which allows utilities to comply by buying credits instead trading program and strengthen the rules to require a 90% reduction by 2012.

The DNR has collected comments from the public over the course of the 2007 summer and will make a decision about which of the three options to adopt by the end of the year. Until that decision is made we encourage you to look at the three options on the DNR website http://dnr.wi.gov/org/aw/air/reg/mercury/rule.htm and send your thoughts to the DNR staff and Natural Resources Board.