-
Install mercury
control equipment to reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent by
2009 at 94 percent of its plants in Illinois.
-
Dramatically reduce
its emissions in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide -- two of the
most harmful pollutants from power plants -- beyond federal
requirements.
-
Agree not to trade
emissions credits, which means that reductions in emissions are
the result of actual pollution reductions in Illinois and not
credits purchased from other states.
-
Agree not to switch
its Duck Creek and Coffeen plants from Illinois coal to coal
from Western states, as the company had been considering.
-
Install $1.6
billion in technology upgrades to its plants to help reduce
harmful emissions.
"Today's agreement puts Illinois on track to be the national
leader when it comes to reducing pollution and cleaning our air,"
Blagojevich said. "Our agreement with Ameren not only means getting
mercury out of our air and water, it means major reductions in other
harmful pollutants as well. Air pollution leads to all kinds of
health problems, like asthma, bronchitis, cerebral palsy and so many
others. This plan means our air will be cleaner, it means our rivers
will be less polluted, and it means our children will be healthier.
Ameren deserves a great deal of credit for working with us to reach
this historic agreement, which will benefit the quality of lives of
so many people in our state."
Under the agreement, 94 percent of Ameren's plants will meet the
mercury standards proposed by the governor earlier this year. The
remaining 6 percent will meet the standards by 2012. In addition,
Ameren will make major reductions in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen
oxides, again surpassing federal standards.
"We appreciate Governor Blagojevich's support and that of the
Illinois EPA in working with us to come up with an approach that
provides reductions of multiple pollutants and offers flexibility,
while reaching the goal of significantly reducing air emissions,"
said Ameren Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Gary L.
Rainwater. "We believe this constructive approach will significantly
benefit the state's air quality."
Last winter, Blagojevich filed rules with the Illinois Pollution
Control Board that would cut mercury emissions from coal-burning
power plants by 90 percent by 2009. Illinois' mercury rule will
achieve more mercury reductions from power plants than any other
state, and now, under the multi-pollutant plan announced, sulfur
dioxide emissions reductions from Ameren alone will exceed the
entire reductions expected from the federal Clean Air Interstate
Rule for all Illinois power plants combined.
"Today's agreement is a major breakthrough that will lead to
cleaner air that will improve children's health and our
environment," said Howard A. Learner, executive director of the
Environmental Law and Policy Center. "We commend Governor
Blagojevich for forging this agreement with Ameren and showing that
Illinois' fleet of older coal plants can achieve significant
pollution reductions."
"This proposal guarantees that modern pollution controls will
reduce air pollution from coal power plants right here in Illinois,"
said Joel J. Africk, president and chief executive officer of the
American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago. "These emission
reductions in Illinois will benefit asthma patients throughout the
state and greatly reduce hospitalizations, emergency room visits and
even premature deaths."
[to top of second column]
 |
 "The Illinois mercury rule will do what federal regulators
wouldn't: put children's health first," said Max Muller,
environmental advocate at Environment Illinois. "Ameren's
willingness to come to the table with the new multi-pollutant
provision means Illinois will still have among the most protective
mercury rules in the country, but with additional upfront reductions
in soot and smog-forming emissions. Risking the health of our
children is not an acceptable cost of doing business in Illinois,
and this multi-pollutant plan makes that clear."
Also under the agreement, Ameren will spend more than $1.6
billion to upgrade the company's plants to meet the new standards,
which will create hundreds of new downstate jobs. The company will
install pollution control equipment at its seven power plants in
central and southern Illinois.
The new scrubbing equipment will enable Ameren to burn more
Illinois coal, which has higher sulfur content than coal from other
regions but produces more energy per pound than coal from the West.
Stricter emission mandates in the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990
caused many companies to switch to low-sulfur Western coal. With the
advanced equipment required by the multi-pollutant plan, utilities
can return to using higher energy Illinois coal.
"I commend Ameren for their leadership and hope that the other
power companies will follow their lead by adopting the
multi-pollutant plan," said Doug Scott, director of the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency. "The governor's mercury proposal is
among the strongest in the nation, and this multi-pollutant plan
makes it even better by ensuring significant reductions of other
harmful power plant pollutants."
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides chemically contribute to
ground-level ozone and fine particles of air pollution that can lead
to respiratory illness, particularly in children and the elderly,
and aggravate heart and lung diseases. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen
oxides can also contribute to acid rain, reduced visibility and
damage to sensitive ecosystems.
Mercury is a harmful toxin that can cause serious health problems
to the human nervous system. Mercury becomes toxic when it enters
lakes and streams from the atmosphere through rain and snow. People
can become exposed to dangerous levels of mercury by eating fish
from contaminated lakes and waterways. Mercury exposure can harm
developing fetuses and can cause mental retardation, cerebral palsy,
lower IQs, slow motor functions, deafness, blindness and other
health problems. Recent studies indicate that as many as 10 percent
of babies born each year in the United States are exposed to
excessive mercury levels in the womb.
In the U.S., an estimated 43 percent of mercury emissions come
from power plants, making them the largest man-made source of
mercury emissions. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
estimates that the state's coal-fired power plants emit 3.5 tons of
mercury into the air every year.
[News release from the governor's
office] |
