Environmentalists are filing lawsuits to win strict controls on criteria pollutant and air toxics emissions from new and existing power plants as an insurance strategy, fearing that if the GOP takes over Congress after the midterm elections then Republicans may pass bills to weaken upcoming EPA air rules for the utility sector.rnEPA has issued or is developing several proposals to cut power plant emissions, including its recently proposed Clean Air Transport Rule cap-and-trade program to cut nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide pollution from utilities in 31 states, a maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standard slated for proposal in 2011 to force cuts in power plants' mercury emissions, and a new source performance standard to cut criteria pollutants.
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