Under the consent agreement, TVA has agreed to retired 931 sulfur dioxide (SO2) allowances and 13 nitrogen oxide (NOx) allowances under EPA’s NOx cap and trade and Acid Rain cap and trade programs.
This will result in the elimination of 931 tons of SO2 and 13 tons of NOx emissions to the atmosphere that would otherwise be permissible, TVA said.
EPA said that TVA failed to maintain pollution control devices as required by permit and to comply with Acid Rain Requirements, 40 CFR Part 75.
The alleged violations resulted from ongoing and pervasive duct leaks from Unit 7 at the power plant that were not adequately repaired and that allowed SO2 and NOx to escape into the atmosphere from 2002 through 2005.
The Acid Rain program sets a permanent cap on the total amount of SO2 that may be emitted by electric generating units in the US, and includes provisions for trading and banking emission allowances.
