The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday denied a petition by energy industry groups seeking to remove stationary combustion turbines from the list of sources regulated for emissions of harmful pollutants.
The petition was filed in 2019 by American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and the American Petroleum Institute (API) to delist combustion turbines from the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Pollutants (NESHAP), which imposes curbs on emissions of known carcinogens like formaldehyde and benzene.
Stationary combustion turbines are typically located at power plants, compressor stations, landfills, and industrial facilities such as chemical plants. They run on fuels such as natural gas, distillate oil, landfill gas, jet fuel, or process gas. The combustion of these gaseous and liquid fuels releases toxic emissions.
“Today’s action will ensure people who live, work and play near these facilities are protected from harmful air pollution,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan.
According to an EPA list, around 250 U.S. gas turbines had been subject to the rule. The list included liquefied natural gas company Cheniere, power plant operators, and other industrial facilities.
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The petitioners requested EPA removal, arguing that the turbine posed a less than one in a million cancer threat. However, the EPA rejected their petition, saying the petitioners did not present adequate information and analyses.
“While we are disappointed with this decision, we will continue to work with the EPA to ensure any new or revised emissions standards for combustion turbines are cost-effective and technically feasible,” Scott Lauermann, a spokesperson for the API, told Reuters.
Environmental groups in states in the southeast where turbines are widely used, according to Reuters, said the denial would protect vulnerable residents who live near these facilities.
