News Releases - 2001

Illinois Smog Reduction Plan For Metro-East Area Endorsed By USEPA

Springfield, Ill. -- Illinois' plan to meet the federal health standard for ozone (smog) in the Metro-East area, including requiring electrical power generators in the state to meet stricter limits on nitrogen oxides (NOx) they put into the air, has been proposed for approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

"We are pleased U.S. EPA has favorably reviewed Illinois' Attainment Demonstration Plan for the area --- this should be the final step in an ongoing strategy to achieve full compliance for ground-level ozone," said Illinois EPA Director Tom Skinner.

While the air quality in the Metro-East/St. Louis area has improved significantly over the past several years, the area still does not meet the federal standard for ozone.

Ground-level ozone is a pollutant that is formed on hot summer days from the chemical reaction of emissions of primarily NOx and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the presence of sunlight. Exposure to ozone can result in respiratory health problems for sensitive persons.

Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair Counties in Illinois and Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles, and St. Louis Counties and the City of St. Louis in Missouri comprise the Metro-East/St. Louis ozone nonattainment area.

Each state is required by the federal Clean Air Act to demonstrate how it will comply with the ozone standard through emission reduction strategies, and to implement those strategies.

The compliance strategy in the Metro-East area is a combination of emission reduction requirements for VOCs and NOx. The VOC requirements have been in place for a number of years and have already been included in Illinois' state implementation plan.

These VOC reduction requirements include the enhanced vehicle emission inspection program, lower Reid vapor pressure requirements for gasoline sold in the nonattainment area, emission controls on marine vessel loading, limitations on the amount of VOCs in coating and printing materials, and limitations on emissions at petroleum refineries and related industries, among others.

U.S. EPA and the Illinois EPA believe that the rules requiring NOx emission reductions from electrical power plants are the last component of the state implementation plan that will result in compliance with the ozone standard by November 2004. With approval of these rules and of the attainment demonstration, the area will no longer be subject to reclassification, or "bump up," to the next higher ozone nonattainment classification. A bump-up would have resulted in a requirement for additional VOC reductions, including application of the existing rules to smaller sources.

The requirement for NOx emission reductions applies to all electrical power generation units in the state that are able to produce more than 25 megawatts of electricity. These units must achieve an emission rate of 0.25 lb NOx/mmBtu, approximately half of the rate allowed by U.S. EPA's Acid Rain Program.

Coal-fired power plants will be able to average their rates, allowing flexibility to achieve the greatest production efficiencies. Affected units must be in compliance with the new requirements in 2003.

Missouri is requiring the same level of reduction from its electrical power generators in the eastern third of the state, as well as NOx reductions from certain other industrial categories.. Power plants in the western two-thirds of Missouri must also reduce emissions of NOx beyond the federal Acid Rain Program requirements, but to a slightly less stringent rate.