CATF Statement on Final Mercury and Air Toxics Standards

The Clean Air Task Force condemns the EPA's decision to reverse the finding that regulating mercury and air toxics from coal-fired power plants is 'appropriate' under the Clean Air Act. The organization argues that the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) have been highly effective since 2012, reducing air toxics by 96 percent and avoiding 11,000 premature deaths annually. CATF warns that this reversal could lead utilities to disable existing emission controls, wasting ratepayer funds and increasing public health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement further claims the EPA's rule is biased, relying on outdated data and ignoring the health benefits of controlling most of the 80+ air toxics emitted by power plants.

• The EPA reversed a twenty-year-old finding that it is 'appropriate' under the Clean Air Act to regulate mercury and other airborne toxics from coal-fired power plants, which are the largest industrial source of these pollutants in the United States.
• The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), implemented since 2016, have reduced power plant air toxics by 96 percent and prevent 11,000 premature deaths every year according to EPA analysis.
• Utility industry groups, including the Edison Electric Institute, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and American Public Power Association, advised the EPA against changes to the MATS rule because member utilities are still recovering costs for installed emission controls.
• The Clean Air Task Force asserts that the EPA's rule is biased and flawed, as it uses incorrect, old data and only considers the costs and benefits of one of the more than 80 air toxics emitted by oil- and coal-fired power plants, ignoring benefits such as reduced heart attacks and asthma attacks.

APA

Weeks, A., & Ross, S. (2020). CATF Statement on Final Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2020/04/catf-statement-on-final-mercury-and-air-toxics-standards/

Chicago

Weeks, Ann, and Stuart Ross. CATF Statement on Final Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. Clean Air Task Force, 2020. https://www.catf.us/2020/04/catf-statement-on-final-mercury-and-air-toxics-standards/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Weeks |first1=Ann |last2=Ross |first2=Stuart |title=CATF Statement on Final Mercury and Air Toxics Standards |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=16 April 2020 |url=https://www.catf.us/2020/04/catf-statement-on-final-mercury-and-air-toxics-standards/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{weeks2020catf, author = {Weeks, Ann and Ross, Stuart}, title = {{CATF Statement on Final Mercury and Air Toxics Standards}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://www.catf.us/2020/04/catf-statement-on-final-mercury-and-air-toxics-standards/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }