Mercury — Nevada Air Mercury Rule (Nevada CAMR State Plan) |
Mercury — Nevada Air Mercury Rule (Nevada CAMR State Plan) |
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By way of background, in March 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR). Under CAMR each state received an annual "mercury emissions" budget from coal-fired power plants; a nationwide cap was set as well. Nevada was allocated a budget of 570 pounds of mercury per year from 2010 to 2017. From 2018 on, Nevada's budget is 224 pounds per year. The program developed by NDEP modified EPA's "Cap and Trade" program; Nevada's CAMR Program requires power plants with coal-fired units to obtain a mercury operating permit to construct. Through the permitting process and beginning in 2010, NDEP will allocate annual mercury emission allowances to existing power plants based on projected actual emissions. Remaining annual allowances from the state budget will be maintained in a pool to be administered by NDEP. The pool will be used for new power plants, for incentive programs and by NDEP to support program needs or allowances that may be retired. The major objective of Nevada's CAMR Program is to encourage mercury reductions at existing facilities and encourage new facilities to install "Low Emitting Units" or "Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle" units. This will be accomplished by offering bonus emission allowances to facilities that install equipment or systems that reduce emissions below their allowance. NDEP's new program and subsequent regulations will have an economic impact on industry. Power plants with coal-fired units in Nevada will soon be required to install and operate continuous emissions monitoring systems, and if their generating units do not meet their mercury emission allowance, they may be required to put on additional pollution controls. These companies will also be subject to the Nevada CAMR permitting program and applicable fees. 
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n September 2006 the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) added a new program to control air emissions of mercury from coal-fired electric utility steam generating units. NDEP took this action in response to a federal requirement for states to control annual mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants.
