Cross-State Air Pollution Rule

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Stored: Cross-State Air Pollution Rule

Cross-State Air Pollution Rule
Type Program
Sponsor Organization Clean Air Markets Division
Top Organization Environmental Protection Agency
Creation Legislation Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990
Website Website
Purpose The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule reduces emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from power plants across multiple states to improve air quality in downwind regions
Program Start 2015
Initial Funding Congressional appropriations
Duration Ongoing
Historic No


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.

Official Site

Goals

  • Reduce interstate transport of SO₂ and NOₓ to meet NAAQS in downwind states.[1]
  • Improve public health by preventing respiratory issues tied to ozone and PM₂.₅ pollution.
  • Achieve cost-effective emissions reductions via market-based trading mechanisms.

Organization

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.[2]

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.

The leader at the EPA level is the Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, currently Joseph Goffman (as of February 19, 2025).

History

The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule was established under the authority of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, replacing the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) after a 2008 court remand, with its final rule issued on July 6, 2011, and implementation starting January 1, 2015.[3] It evolved with updates like the CSAPR Update (2016), Revised CSAPR Update (2021), and Good Neighbor Plan (2023), addressing legal challenges and expanding to 23 states by 2025. Key milestones include a 2021 ozone season NOₓ reduction and ongoing integration with broader clean air efforts.

Funding

Initial funding in 2015 came from Congressional appropriations within the EPA’s budget, though specific CSAPR amounts are not isolated.[4] Funding began in 2015 and continues, with FY 2023 supporting CSAPR within the EPA’s $10 billion budget, estimated at over $100 million annually for monitoring and compliance, with no end date as appropriations sustain operations like the 2025 Good Neighbor Plan.

Implementation

The program was implemented through four emissions trading programs—SO₂ Group 1, SO₂ Group 2, Annual NOₓ, and Ozone Season NOₓ—setting state-specific emissions budgets, with allowances traded and compliance tracked via CAMPD for over 3,000 units.[5] It operates continuously with annual and seasonal cycles, enforced by continuous emissions monitoring, with no end date, adapting in 2025 to stricter ozone standards via the Good Neighbor Plan.

Related

External links

Social media

References

  1. "Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Overview," EPA, https://www.epa.gov/csapr, accessed February 19, 2025.
  2. "CSAPR Structure," EPA, https://www.epa.gov/csapr, accessed February 19, 2025.
  3. "CSAPR History," EPA, https://www.epa.gov/csapr/cross-state-air-pollution-rule-csapr-history, accessed February 19, 2025.
  4. "EPA Budget Overview," EPA, https://www.epa.gov/planandbudget/budget, accessed February 19, 2025.
  5. "CSAPR Implementation," EPA, https://www.epa.gov/csapr/csapr-trading-programs, accessed February 19, 2025.