New Rules
For Air Polluters
The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule, (referred to as MATS) became a new EPA standard for all Factories and
companies contributing to air pollution in December 2011.
The public has been introduced to the new rule as a damaging enemy to factories and jobs by a series of explosive articles and commentaries by news media.
In fact factory owners and operators are hardly surprised by this latest legislation designed to protect the public for excessive harmful toxins and the malfunctioning of aging equipment.
In a one page memorandum issued on December 21, 2011 President Obama states regarding the rule “(It) Prescribes
standards under section 112 of the Clean Air Act to control emissions of mercury and other toxic air pollutants from
power plants, which collectively are among the largest sources of such pollution in the United States.” He goes on to say
that the EPA estimates that the reduction of such a major source of these pollutants will be a major benefit to the health
of millions of Americans including “Children, older Americans, and other vulnerable populations.”