Public health and environmental advocates Wednesday broadly endorsed EPA’s plan to tighten emission limits on new and modified natural-gas-fired power plants, with many urging the agency to go further.
“It’s been almost 20 years since the standards have been updated, and it’s time to update them again,” said Pamela Guthman, a Wisconsin nurse. “We have a clear responsibility to act on behalf of children, their health and overall future.”
Guthman was among dozens of speakers at a virtual public hearing on EPA’s proposal to strengthen limits on releases for smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) on the combustion turbines used in the rapidly growing gas-fired power sector, pipeline compressor stations and other industries.
While the proposed requirements under the New Source Performance Standards program are tied to turbine size and other factors, they would generally tap the NOx-cutting technology known as selective catalytic reduction, as well as combustion controls, according to EPA.
