DEP Releases Update To Carbon Pollution Reduction Regulation Prior To July 13 Meeting

On July 12, the Department of Environmental Protection released a revision to the final regulation establishing a Carbon Pollution Reduction Program covering power plants dealing with a single issue-- the legacy emissions provisions in Section 145.302 related to waste coal-fired power plant emissions.

The Environmental Quality Board is scheduled to meet on the final regulation July 13 starting at 9:00 a.m.

DEP revised the definition of Legacy Emissions under section 145.302 as it relates to waste coal emissions effectively increasing the look back period from 5-years to 10-years in the calculation of legacy emissions. 

The look back period is now January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2019 instead of January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2019. 

This results in a change in the value of the waste coal set-aside allocation under section 145.342(i) from 10.4 to 12.8 million CO2 [carbon dioxide] allowances. 

These are the only changes made to the regulation Annex.

The revised annex and supporting documents are posed on the Environmental Quality Board meetings webpage for July 13. Click Here to watch meeting live.

[Posted: July 12, 2021]  PA Environment Digest