Industry, Advocates Spar Over Quality Of EPA's SO2 Data For Major Rules

摘要

Utility industry officials and environmentalists are sparring over advocates' claims that EPA data on sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions that underpins parts of several major air rules fails to meet Information Quality Act (IQA) standards, as industry pushes back on claims that flaws in the data raise questions over the basis for some regulations. EPA said in a recent rule that a lack of SO2 data meant it would exempt power plants from having to comply with its utility air toxics rule limits during utility startups, which advocates said is either an erroneous statement or shows that conclusions on SO2 in other air rules violate the IQA. But an industry air monitoring expert counters that EPA's statements on SO2 data for the utility air rule are distinct from the conclusions that it reached on SO2 in its other air regulations.