Grasping at Straws: A flimsy argument to attack upcoming EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants

The author refutes the argument that the EPA cannot regulate greenhouse gases from existing power plants because those plants are already required to control air toxics. The author asserts that section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act specifically allows for the regulation of "gap" pollutants—those that are neither National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) nor Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPS)—and that the Senate's version of the 1990 amendments, which is the controlling law, confirms this authority.

• Industry lawyers have argued that the EPA is unable to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal-fired power plants, which account for approximately 40% of manmade carbon dioxide pollution in the United States, on the basis that these plants must already control air toxics under the Clean Air Act.
• The author contends that since 1970, the EPA has used section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act to regulate "gap" pollutants, defined as pollutants that are neither Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPS) nor National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), including greenhouse gases.

APA

Weeks, A. (2014). Grasping at Straws: A flimsy argument to attack upcoming EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2014/11/grasping-at-straws/

Chicago

Weeks, Ann. Grasping at Straws: A flimsy argument to attack upcoming EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants. Clean Air Task Force, 2014. https://www.catf.us/2014/11/grasping-at-straws/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Weeks |first1=Ann |title=Grasping at Straws: A flimsy argument to attack upcoming EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=4 November 2014 |url=https://www.catf.us/2014/11/grasping-at-straws/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{weeks2014grasping, author = {Weeks, Ann}, title = {{Grasping at Straws: A flimsy argument to attack upcoming EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2014}, month = nov, url = {https://www.catf.us/2014/11/grasping-at-straws/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }