WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	Push For Regional Power Plant Regulations (Hartford-AP) _ Northeastern states could better crack down on pollution if power plants were required to follow a uniform set of emissions guidelines, regional environmental regulators say. Today the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management announced its proposals to create regionally consistent policies on utility deregulation. The plan, which would have to be adopted by all six New England states, New York and New Jersey, requires power plants to produce less sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide. It makes no provisions for mercury and carbon monoxide. The electric deregulation law enacted last year in Connecticut requires competition among electric companies to begin in the year 2000. 35% of customers are to be allowed to choose electric providers starting Jan. 1, and everyone else six months later. But environmentalists are concerned that the new competition may lead to higher emission rates as electric companies try to get their customers the most power for the cheapest possible price. "We don't want air quality to be degraded," said Chris James of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. "On the other hand, you want to be able to produce the most amount of electricity at the lowest possible cost." Under the regional plan, power suppliers would have to make quarterly reports on their emissions until they met the standards. After that, the companies would be required to make the reports once a year, unless their emissions were too high, in which case they would return to quarterly updates. Noncompliance would mean stricter inspections and could lead to fines and the possibility that a company would be stopped from selling electricity. Critics of the regional plan said it falls short of protecting the environment. Bernadette Del Chiaro, a spokeswoman from the Toxics Action Center, said the plan should impose greater emissions restrictions and regulate mercury and carbon monoxide. "These standards do not reduce pollution coming from power plants in the New England region," she said. Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

Push For Regional Power Plant Regulations
(Hartford-AP) _ Northeastern states could better crack down on pollution if power plants were required to follow a uniform set of emissions guidelines, regional environmental regulators say.

Today the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management announced its proposals to create regionally consistent policies on utility deregulation.

The plan, which would have to be adopted by all six New England states, New York and New Jersey, requires power plants to produce less sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide.

It makes no provisions for mercury and carbon monoxide.

The electric deregulation law enacted last year in Connecticut requires competition among electric companies to begin in the year 2000. 35% of customers are to be allowed to choose electric providers starting Jan. 1, and everyone else six months later.

But environmentalists are concerned that the new competition may lead to higher emission rates as electric companies try to get their customers the most power for the cheapest possible price.

"We don't want air quality to be degraded," said Chris James of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. "On the other hand, you want to be able to produce the most amount of electricity at the lowest possible cost."

Under the regional plan, power suppliers would have to make quarterly reports on their emissions until they met the standards.

After that, the companies would be required to make the reports once a year, unless their emissions were too high, in which case they would return to quarterly updates.

Noncompliance would mean stricter inspections and could lead to fines and the possibility that a company would be stopped from selling electricity.

Critics of the regional plan said it falls short of protecting the environment. Bernadette Del Chiaro, a spokeswoman from the Toxics Action Center, said the plan should impose greater emissions restrictions and regulate mercury and carbon monoxide.

"These standards do not reduce pollution coming from power plants in the New England region," she said.

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