State Sample

ILLINOIS

Rules or Legislation – Proposed or Adopted

• January 9, 2006, Governor’s proposal requests Illinois EPA to develop rules for a two-phase reduction approach.
• Ninety percent reduction with intrastate averaging by 6/09.
• Seventy-five percent individual plant reduction by 6/09.
• Ninety percent individual plant reduction by end of 2012.

Participation in National Trading Program

• No

Allocation of Allowances

• No

State Contact and Additional Information

• Laurel L. Kroack: (217) 785-4140

            laurel.kroack@illinois.gov

• Jim Ross: (217) 524-4736

            www.epa.state.il.us/air/cair/

Expected or Actual Submittal of State Plan to EPA (Due 11/17/06)

• Submitted by 11/17/06 deadline.

Norit Americas Inc. has been awarded a contract to supply twelve activated carbon injection (ACI) systems for mercury control at coal-fired power plants in Illinois. All units will be delivered in 2008.

Alert # 800, Alert Date:  November 17, 2006

Alert Title:  Illinois Law Does Require an Average 90 Percent Reduction by 2009

Sid Nelson of Sorbent Technologies wrote us about the following headline in our Alert last week “Illinois Pollution Control Board Approves 90 Percent Mercury Reduction by 2012 with Flexibility.” The headline may have been misleading but the text clarifies that mercury reductions averaging 90 percent is required in 2009 but by 2012 each unit has to achieve the 90 percent reduction. However, the lack of clarity had a positive effect as Sid was energized to provide us with some very useful details. Sid writes:

“I took part in the contested hearings in Illinois and have been following these regulations closely. The Illinois Board rules call for 90 percent average mercury compliance by July 1, 2009, not 2012.

The Board’s ruling on page 100, says:

Section 225.230 Emission Standards for EGUs at Existing Sources

A) Emission Standards

1)      Beginning July 1, 2009, the owner or operator of a source with one or more EGUs subject to this Subpart B that commenced commercial operation on or before December 31, 2008, must/shall comply with one of the following standards for each EGU on a rolling 12-month basis:

a)      An emission standard of 0.0080 lb mercury/GWh gross electrical output; or

b)      A minimum 90-percent reduction of input mercury.

Ameren and Dynegy will likely comply under the Multi-Pollutant Standard provisions, which they negotiated to be added, which instead essentially provide them with “save harbor” if they inject a halogenated (actually brominated) carbon at a rate of 5 lb/MMacf for subbituminous coal (which is nearly all of the Illinois plants). You might also find it newsworthy that the regulations specify that a halogenated carbon from Sorbent Technologies, Norit, or ALSTOM must be used, or their proven equivalent:

Section 225.233 Multi-Pollutant Standards (MPS)

A)    General

      1)   As an alternative to compliance with the emissions standards of Section 225.230(a) the owner of eligible EGUs may elect for those EGUs to demonstrate compliance pursuant to this Section, which establishes control requirements and standards for emissions of NO_x and SO₂, as well as for emissions of mercury.

c)   Control Technology Requirements for Emissions of Mercury

       1)  Requirements for EGUs in an MPS Group
 

A)   For each EGU in an MPS Group other than an EGU that is addressed by subsection (c)(1)(B) of this Section for the period beginning July 1, 2009 (or December 31, 2009 for an EGU for which an SO₂ scrubber or fabric filter is being installed to be in operation by December 31, 2009), and ending on December 31, 2014 (or such earlier date that the EGU is subject to the mercury emission standard in subsection (d)(1) of this Section), the owner or operator of the EGU must install, to the extent not already installed, and properly operate and maintain one of the following emissions control devices:

i)                    A Halogenated Activated Carbon Injection System, complying with the sorbent injection requirements of subsection (c)(2) of this Section,
 

ii)                   If the boiler fires bituminous coal, a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) System and an SO₂ Scrubber.

     2)    For each EGU for which injection of halogenated activated carbon is required by subsection (c)(1) of this Section, the owner or operator of the EGU must inject halogenated activated carbon in an optimum manner, which, except as provided in subsection (c)(4) of this Section, is defined as all of the following:

A)   The use of an injection system designed for effective absorption of mercury, considering the configuration of the EGU and its ductwork;
 

B)     The injection of halogenated activated carbon manufactured by Alstom, Norit, or Sorbent Technologies, or the injection of any other halogenated activated carbon or sorbent that the owner or operator of the EGU has demonstrated to have similar or better effectiveness for control of mercury emissions; and
 

C)    The injection of sorbent at the following minimum rates, as applicable:
 

i)            For an EGU firing subbituminous coal, 5.0 lbs per million actual cubic feet …
 

ii)           For an EGU firing bituminous coal, 10.0 lbs per million actual cubic feet …
 

iii)         For an EGU firing a blend of subbituminous and bituminous coal, a rate that is the weighted average of the
above rates, based on the blend of coal being fired;”

For further information see www.ipcb.state.il.us/documents/dsweb/Get/Document-54839/

Alert #788, Alert Date:  August 25, 2006

Alert Title:  Dynegy Joins Ameren in Illinois Hg, NO_x, SO₂ Agreement

Dynegy joins Ameren in agreeing to Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s plan to cut mercury emissions.

Under the plan, Dynegy will:

• Install equipment designed to reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent for 96 percent of their capacity by 2009; the remaining four percent of capacity will receive these controls in 2012. Dynegy’s press release states “If the joint proposal is ultimately approved, Dynegy’s five coal-fired power generation facilities in Illinois will install additional particulate and carbon injection controls to reduce mercury emissions. In addition to a phased-in reduction of mercury emissions of 90 percent by 2015, the rule would further reduce emissions of SO₂, NO_x and particulate matter.”

• Reduce its emissions of SO₂ and NO_x.

• Agree not to trade emissions credits needed for compliance with SO₂ and NO_x standards outside of Illinois or with other companies in Illinois.

• Accelerate the installation of pollution controls required under a consent degree with the State of Illinois and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The August 22 announced agreement with the State of Illinois is subject to approval by the Illinois Pollution Control Board and the Joint Committee on Administrative Rulemaking of the Illinois General Assembly.

Alert #785, Alert Date:  August 4, 2006

Alert Title:  Ameren Agrees to 90 Percent Mercury Removal by 2009

Under a new proposal, Ameren Corp. would significantly reduce mercury emissions at several of its Illinois-based generating subsidiaries, at a cost of $600 million, Ameren said Wednesday. The agreement, with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, is subject to approval by the Illinois Pollution Control Board. Under the agreement, Ameren subsidiaries' Illinois coal-fired generating facilities will install additional controls to substantially reduce NO_x and SO₂ emissions by 2012 and 2015, respectively.

Under the plan, Ameren will:

• 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 SO₂ and NO_x – 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 from Illinois coal to coal from western states at its Duck Creek and Coffeen plants, as the company had been considering; and

• Install $1.6 billion in technology upgrades to its plants to help reduce harmful emissions.

The new equipment will be installed at the Coffeen, Duck Creek, Edwards, Hutsonville, Meredosia and Newton Power Stations in Illinois -- all owned by Ameren generation subsidiaries. The commitment also includes installation of new equipment at the Electric Energy Inc. plant in Joppa, IL. Ameren subsidiaries own 80 percent of Electric Energy Inc.