ABSTRACT
The diversity of attendees and the cooperative spirit of the conference, with Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Environment, Electric Power Research Institute, and the international community working together, is impressive. The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) provide a very short timetable for studying air toxics emissions associated with the electric utility industry. Several states are considering implementing their own air toxics studies/regulations. This possibility raises the question of how state initiatives will interface with Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) efforts. EPA’s Warren Peters asserted that, because the CAAA calls for a risk-based assessment of utility emissions, separate thresholds for the industry may be warranted on the basis of study results. However, if emissions risks exceed levels EPA deems acceptable, EPA may be compelled to apply some form of emission controls to electric utilities. The session on emissions sources highlighted the extensive variability in data on trace element concentrations in coal.
