Acid Rain and Smog

Lexington, KY: (Sep-20-07) The Federal Government filed a lawsuit against East Kentucky Power Cooperative, accusing it of unlawfully emitting thousands of tons of pollutants from its plant, causing acid rain and smog. The Federal Government sued the co-op in July 2006, alleging it had operated two generators at its Dale power plant in Clark County without participating in the Acid Rain Program. The suit alleged that the co-op also failed to enroll in a state program designed to reduce ground-level ozone. Sources claimed that those programs require utilities to monitor emissions and, in the case of the acid rain program, purchase emission credits if they emit more than a certain number of tons of the pollutants annually. If a power plant emits more pollutants than permitted, it must buy credits from other plants to offset the difference. The program's goal is to offer financial incentives to companies that reduce emissions and can then sell their credits to other firms. The government reported that the Dale station emitted more than 15,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and 4,000 tons of nitrogen oxide between 2000 and 2005.

As part of a settlement reached, East Kentucky Power Cooperative agreed to pay an $11.4 million fine to resolve allegations. The government hailed the settlement as the highest fine ever assessed under the Acid Rain Program of the Clean Air Act. [HERALD LEADER: ACID RAIN AND SMOG]

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Published on Sep-21-07