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Environmental Impact Statement - radioactive monticello

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<strong>Environmental</strong> <strong>Impact</strong>s of Alternatives<br />

* Air Quality<br />

The air-quality impacts of coal-fired generation vary considerably from those of nuclear<br />

generation due to emissions of sulfur oxides (SO,), nitrogen oxides (NO,), particulates, carbon<br />

monoxide, hazardous air pollutants such as mercury, and naturally occurring <strong>radioactive</strong><br />

materials.<br />

Monticello is located in an area designated by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards as<br />

being in attainment for all criteria pollutants. The nearest area of non-attainment is the<br />

Milwaukee metropolitan area. However, Monticello is in a non-attainment area with respect to<br />

the eight-hour ozone standard (NMC 2005).<br />

A new coal-fired generating plant located in southern Minnesota would likely need a prevention<br />

of significant deterioration (PSD) permit and an operating permit under the Clean Air Act. The<br />

plant would need to comply with the new source performance standards for such plants set<br />

forth in 40 CFR Part 60, Subpart Da. The standards establish limits for particulate matter and<br />

opacity (40 CFR 60.42a), SO2 (40 CFR 60.43a), and NO, (40 CFR 60.44a).<br />

The U.S. <strong>Environmental</strong> Protection Agency (EPA) has various regulatory requirements for<br />

visibility protection in 40 CFR Part 51, Subpart P, including a specific requirement for review of<br />

any new major stationary source in an area designated as attainment or unclassified under the<br />

Clean Air Act (40 CFR 51.307).<br />

Section 169A of the Clean Air Act establishes a national goal of preventing future and<br />

remedying existing impairment of visibility in mandatory Class I Federal areas when impairment<br />

results from man-made air pollution. The EPA issued a new regional haze rule in 1999 (EPA<br />

1999). The rule specifies that for each mandatory Class I Federal area located within a State,<br />

the State must establish goals that provide for reasonable progress towards achieving natural<br />

visibility conditions. The reasonable progress goals must provide for an improvement in<br />

visibility for the most-impaired days over the period of the implementation plan and ensure no<br />

degradation in visibility for the least-impaired days over the same period [40 CFR 51.308(d)(1 )].<br />

If a coal-fired plant were located close to a mandatory Class I areas, additional air pollution<br />

control requirements could be imposed. The nearest Class I Federal area is in Northern<br />

Minnesota, several hundred miles from Monticello.<br />

In March 2005, the EPA issued the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) (EPA 2005b). CAIR will<br />

permanently cap emissions of SO, and NO, in the eastern United States. CAIR achieves large<br />

reductions of SO 2 and/or NO. emissions across 28 eastern states and the District of Columbia.<br />

When fully implemented, CAIR will reduce SO 2 emissions in these states by over 70 percent,<br />

and NO, emissions by over 60 percent from 2003 levels. This will result in $85 to $100 billion in<br />

health benefits and nearly $2 billion in visibility benefits per year by 2015, and will substantially<br />

reduce premature mortality in the eastern United States. The benefits will continue to grow<br />

each year with further implementation. By 2015, CAIR will help Minnesota sources reduce<br />

emissions of SO by 40,000 tons, or 36 percent, and emissions of NO, by 53,000 tons, or 59<br />

percent (EPA 2005a).<br />

NUREG-1 437, Supplement 26 8-12 August 2006 1

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