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Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR)
Notice
On February 8, 2008, the D.C. Circuit vacated EPA's rule removing power plants from the Clean Air Act list of sources of hazardous air pollutants. At the same time, the Court vacated the Clean Air Mercury Rule. EPA is reviewing the Court's decisions and evaluating its impacts.
Read the Court's Opinion (PDF) (18pp, 51k)
On March 15, 2005, EPA issued the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR) to permanently cap and reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants for the first time ever. This rule makes the United States the first country in the world to regulate mercury emissions from utilities.
CAMR establishes “standards of performance” limiting mercury emissions from new and existing coal-fired power plants, and creates a market-based cap and trade program that will reduce nationwide utility emissions of mercury in two distinct phases. The first phase cap is 38 tons and emissions will be reduced by taking advantage of “co-benefit” reductions—that is, mercury reductions achieved by reducing sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions under Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). In the second phase, due in 2018, coal-fired power plants will be subject to a second cap, which will reduce emissions to 15 tons upon full implementation.
See also:
- Frequent Questions
- State Plan Submittal Status (as of October, 2007) (PDF, 1 p., 57 KB)
- Implementation Status
- CAIR and CAMR Implementation Training Workshops
- Mercury Reference Test Method: Draft and Direct Final Rule
- EPA Rulemaking Actions on CAMR State Plan Submissions
More Information
For technical information and rulemaking details, visit EPA’s Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR) Web site.