In a move that affects coal-fired power plants in Missouri and nationwide, the Environmental Protection Agency announced late on Christmas Eve that it will delay tougher wastewater treatment standards.
The move has drawn criticism from environmental watchdogs. The EPA estimates the stricter rules would cut wastewater pollution by more than 600 million pounds a year – reductions that are now being delayed.
Thom Cmar, deputy managing attorney for the Midwest Regional Office of Earthjustice, said coal-fired power plants have long been among the largest sources of toxic pollution in waterways, including arsenic, mercury, and lead.
"These are standards that EPA is supposed to require power plants to use state-of-the-art technology to clean up this pollution or eliminate it altogether," he said.
The EPA has said the delay is intended to address concerns about electric grid reliability, rising electricity demand, and affordability for consumers. Environmental groups have said they are reviewing the rule and plan to pursue legal challenges.
In Missouri, the delay is renewing scrutiny of coal-fired power plants that discharge wastewater into rivers and streams across the state. Early last year, the Missouri Sierra Club launched an online dashboard tracking federal environmental rollbacks, including changes affecting pollution standards for coal plants.
Cmar explained how toxic byproducts end up in the waterways that communities rely on.
"They're located next to a river, lake or stream," he said. "They pull water out of that water body and then, flush the pollutants back into that river, lake or stream."
As federal officials maintain the delay is meant to help keep electricity reliable and affordable, critics argue EPA has not shown that extending the operation of older coal plants will lower electric bills for ratepayers.
The Missouri Public News Service originally published this story.
