Cross-State Air Pollution Rule: Difference between revisions

'''Cross-State Air Pollution Rule''' (CSAPR) is an Environmental Protection Agency program managed by the Clean Air Markets Division that employs emissions trading to curb sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxide (NOₓ) emissions from over 3,000 power plants in 28 eastern states and the District of Columbia, significantly improving air quality in downwind areas and preventing thousands of premature deaths annually as of 2025. Building on the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), it was launched in 2015 with four trading programs—expanded by updates like the Revised CSAPR Update (2021) and Good Neighbor Plan (2023)—covering seasonal and annual NOₓ emissions alongside SO₂, leveraging the Clean Air Markets Program Data (CAMPD) system for compliance tracking and achieving over $3 billion in health benefits yearly.

The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule was sponsored by the Clean Air Markets Division (CAMD)—now part of the Clean Air and Power Division—within the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, under the Environmental Protection Agency.<ref>"CSAPR Structure," EPA, https://www.epa.gov/csapr, accessed February 19, 2025.</ref> Funding comes from Congressional appropriations, supporting staff and systems like CAMPD to manage allowance trading and emissions monitoring across 28 states, with collaboration from state air agencies and power plant operators submitting data under Part 75 regulations. It oversees four trading programs with distinct emissions budgets.