Steps the EPA Must Take to Reduce Global Warming Emissions
EPA’s responsibility
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to regulate global warming emissions under the Clean Air Act because they endanger public health and welfare.
Where we are today
Despite ongoing attempts by politicians and industry groups to block the EPA from doing its job, the agency has started to move forward to reduce these dangerous pollutants from cars, trucks, power plants, and other large industrial polluters.
What the EPA must do
There are two main ways the EPA must act to curb global warming emissions:
- Reduce emissions from vehicles
In April 2010, the EPA and the Department of Transportation (DOT) finalized joint global warming emissions and fuel economy standards for passenger cars and trucks.
The DOT and the EPA are currently developing the first-ever standards for medium and heavy-duty trucks. - Reduce emissions from stationary sources
Permitting requirements
In May 2010, the EPA established which stationary sources, including power plants, oil refineries, and other large industrial facilities, will have to obtain permits to emit global warming emissions. They are requiring only the very largest sources of pollution to take action—new projects that will emit more than 100,000 tons of global warming emissions or plants making modifications that will increase their emissions by 75,000 tons or more. These facilities represent 70 percent of all United States global warming emissions from stationary sources.
As of January 2, 2011, plants subject to permitting must use the best available technology to limit their global warming emissions. In November 2010, the EPA released recommendations for using energy efficiency and certain types of biomass to cut fuel costs for these facilities and reduce their heat-trapping emissions. States must consider this technology guidance in setting permitting requirements for power plants and other large stationary sources.
Actual emissions limits
In December 2010, the EPA originally announced a schedule (PDF) for issuing rules to limit emissions from power plants and petroleum refineries, which account for 40 percent of all U.S. global warming pollution. These performance requirements will reduce global warming emissions from the nation’s oldest and dirtiest stationary facilities.
The EPA's original timeline called for a draft rule for power plants by July 2011, but the EPA delayed the release of that draft rule until September 2011. Then, the EPA announced it was missing the second deadline. Despite the delay, the final rule for power plants is still scheduled to be ready by May 2012. For refineries, the draft rule is believed to be on track for release by December 2011, to be turned into a final rule by November 2012. In the future, additional rules could set similar performance standards for cement kilns, fertilizer plants, crude oil and natural gas production, and possibly steel plants and lead smelters.
Other EPA actions to address public health threats from coal plants
On December 21, 2011, in response to other serious public health concerns related to coal-fired power plants, the EPA released a long-overdue final Mercury and Air Toxics rule that would control hazardous air pollution from coal- and oil-fired power plants.
According to the EPA, reducing toxic power plant emissions will prevent as many as 11,000 premature deaths and 4,700 heart attacks each year. The final standards would also avert more than 5,700 emergency room visits and hospital admissions and 540,000 fewer days of work missed due to illness.
The EPA estimates the value of these health benefits alone will total between $37 billion and $90 billion each year, delivering $3-$9 in health benefits for every dollar spent to reduce pollution.
Importance of timely action
It is critically important that all these rules—both those focused on global warming emissions and those dealing with other pollutants—are implemented in a timely fashion and based on the best available science.
Learn more
- Global Warming 101
- The Clean Air Act
- Attack on the Clean Air Act
- Regulating Toxic Pollutants from Power Plants under the Clean Air Act
Support our work
For more than 20 years, UCS has worked with leading experts to educate U.S. decision makers and the public about global warming and implement practical solutions at an international, national, regional, and state level. You can help support this work:
