Latest news with #GreenhouseGasReportingProgram
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Paper mills in Maine and across the U.S. releasing more greenhouse gases than federal data shows
Two of Maine's largest paper mills are among the dirtiest in the country, according to a new study on U.S. pulp and paper plants, putting their emissions on par with some oil refineries. The May report from the Environmental Integrity Project, a non-profit advocacy group, calls attention to the industry's overreliance on dirty fuels and the old, inefficient technologies they use to burn them. 'In Maine, there are several plants that are still burning coal and… tires,' said Courtney Bernhardt, EIP's director of research who co-authored the report. 'We wanted to raise awareness about that.' The group analyzed greenhouse gas emissions from 185 paper plants across the country, which Bernhardt says are undercounted by federal estimates because of a loophole in the reporting process: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency doesn't include greenhouse gas emissions from 'biogenic' fuel sources like biomass or black liquor, a wood byproduct of the chemical papermaking process, both of which mills burn to power their operations and can be dirtier than coal. The agency's rationale for excluding those sources from total emissions estimates in its Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, according to EIP, is 'because trees can grow back in the future' and offset the carbon emissions from biomass fuels. Until the EPA accurately reports and regulates all facility emissions, mill owners will have less of a reason to pursue energy efficiency upgrades that can both cut back reliance on dirty fuels and maintain profits, the report claims. The study's recommendations for tightening limits on the paper industry's emissions come as the Trump administration eyes drastic rollbacks of federal rules curtailing greenhouse gases and hazardous air pollutants released by American power plants, according to reporting from The New York Times. Maine is home to two of the last remaining paper plants in the country that burn tires as fuel. As other mills move away from so-called 'tire-derived fuels,' Maine plants have increased their use in recent years, adding to their output of harmful pollutants. The combination of coal, tires and other fuels burned by ND Paper's plant in Rumford made it the second-largest emitter of mercury out of the 185 facilities included in EIP's analysis of 2023 EPA data. The Sappi Somerset mill in Skowhegan, which also burns tires, was a top-20 emitter of hazardous air pollutants in 2020. Both plants' emissions have local and global effects. Common mill byproducts like nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and fine particulate matter all harm the respiratory system and can linger in the atmosphere, where nitrogen oxide creates acid rain. When biogenic fuel is taken into account, mill greenhouse gas emissions are almost as high as the dirtiest U.S. oil refineries, according to EIP. Sappi Somerset mill's total greenhouse gas emissions balloon from 316,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide to nearly 1.6 million when including biogenic fuel sources — a 400 percent increase. Nationwide, EIP found that paper mills' greenhouse gas emissions were 350 percent higher than public-facing EPA estimates. At the state level, these emissions are counted. Maine ditched the EPA's model and began including biogenic sources of carbon dioxide in a 2022 update on its climate change goals. Maine lawmakers recently codified a new 2040 deadline to reach net zero carbon emissions, and one effective way to do so nationwide, according to Bernhardt, is upgrading the inefficient boilers that many mills have relied on for decades to power operations. The EIP report estimates that 40 percent of all analyzed pulp and paper mills have a boiler that is at least a half century old, including the power boiler that Woodland Pulp's Washington County mill still uses 54 years after it was installed. A representative for Woodland Pulp said that the company's Baileyville mill has reduced its emissions over the past two decades by switching from fuel oil to natural gas. Mill energy needs are also supported by on-site hydropower. Although many boilers are upgraded and retrofitted to add pollution controls — including the one used by Woodland Pulp — EIP recommends replacing them with zero-emission industrial heat technologies where possible, reducing overall emissions and the amount of heat lost by inefficient boilers during the papermaking process. Sappi has pursued similar efficiency updates at its Somerset mill in recent years, according to Sappi communications manager April Jones. The company no longer burns coal and has reduced reliance on other dirty fuels, setting a 2030 deadline to reduce the mill's 2019 greenhouse gas emissions by 41.5 percent per ton of product. Sappi and Woodland Pulp also disputed EIP's claims that their total mill greenhouse gas emissions are underreported. Despite EPA's reporting framework, both companies stated that they still publish their mills' biogenic emissions. (ND Paper did not respond to requests for comment). The paper industry hasn't yet been targeted by rollbacks on hazardous air pollution limits the same way power plants have, according to Bernhardt, but broad changes in emissions regulations could impact industries across the board. Further greenhouse gas reductions may instead have to come from paper companies deciding to invest in clean technologies and reduce pollution. 'There's a real role for paper to play in a more sustainable economy,' Bernhardt said. 'It really comes down to dollars. Can companies afford it?'
USA Today
11-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Trump administration proposes to slash emission limits on power plants
Trump administration proposes to slash emission limits on power plants Show Caption Hide Caption What do Lee Zeldin's EPA rollbacks mean for Americans? Lee Zeldin announced the Environmental Protection agency would roll back regulations aimed fighting climate change and pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday two major proposals that would repeal greenhouse gas emissions regulations and weaken mercury pollution standards for fossil-fuel power plants, part of the Trump administration's effort to revive coal. The proposals include the repeal of all greenhouse gas standards and a separate one to roll back Biden-era limits on mercury and soot from the country's dirtiest coal plants. Greenhouse gases contribute to climate change, while mercury toxins can cause brain impairment. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, joined at the press conference by several Republican lawmakers and Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, justified the moves by citing the country's ambition for energy dominance and the rising power demand from artificial intelligence data centers. 'Data centers that support AI alone will eat up 10% of U.S. energy supply within 10 years,' Zeldin said. 'Right now, it's about 3 to 4% of total U.S. electricity demand.' He also said that the administration is removing these Obama- and Biden-era rules to relieve fossil-fuel power plants from regulatory burdens, directly attacking the central piece of the Biden administration's climate policy, including stricter pollution limits on mercury and particulate matter pollution. A public comment period will follow the proposed repeals, after which the EPA will revise and finalize the rule. However, legal challenges could complicate that process. Critics of the Trump administration's energy policy say they're concerned because it doesn't factor in the health impacts on local communities, which are often low-income families who live closer to the power plants. This move also comes at a time when decades-long progress to clean up air is facing a threat from frequent, raging wildfires blanketing cities and towns in smoke. 'Rolling back this lifesaving update would be a grave mistake that would expose people to toxic pollution proven to harm brain development, trigger asthma attacks, and cause cancer and premature death,' American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer said in a statement. EPA data shows that power plants are the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, after vehicle exhaust. Power plants released nearly 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2023, according to the EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. The agency did not release a complete count of all emissions for 2023. But 2022 data show the electric power sector made up a quarter of all U.S. emissions that year. 'Any government that was acting in good faith to meet the challenge of climate change would look to reductions from power plants as a first step,' Joseph Goffman, a former assistant administrator at the EPA office overseeing air pollution rules, told USA TODAY over email. 'But this administration is not a good faith actor and is certainly not acting to protect Americans,' Goffman said. USA TODAY previously reported that President Donald Trump granted exemptions to over 60 power plants that delayed when they would have to meet the more stringent Mercury and Air Toxics Standards by two years. Under the proposals made on June 11, the plants would never have to comply with the Biden-updated pollution limits. Zeldin pointed out that the limits on mercury pollution in effect since 2012 would remain. Emissions from power plants have been declining over the past decade, thanks in part to EPA regulations. But experts say the administration's move could put that progress at risk. During Trump's inauguration, the president declared a national energy emergency and later in April signed an executive order to boost the coal industry amid increased demand for electricity for artificial intelligence data centers. The revival efforts are happening as fossil fuels, particularly coal, are being phased out due to the decreasing costs of renewables and their ability to reduce harmful emissions. Search the coal plant closest to you below. Includes facilities beyond the ones exempted from the EPA rule. A recent report from the International Energy Agency projected that 'electricity demand from data centers worldwide is set to more than double by 2030.' Artificial intelligence will be the most significant driver, the report said. In May, the Department of Energy ordered two fossil-fuel plants to continue operating through the summer despite their earlier plans to shut down last month. J.H. Campbell, a coal-fired plant in Michigan, was expected to retire in May. Eddystone Generating Station in Pennsylvania was planning to shut down its gas units in May. The Department of Energy's orders require the operators to keep them running for 90 days to 'minimizing the risk of generation shortfall.' Earlier this year, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a report that the country's electricity prices in 2024 were already cheaper and less volatile than before. The proposed repeal of greenhouse gas limits and updated Mercury and Air Toxics Standard would save power generators $1.2 billion and $120 million per year, respectively, in regulatory costs, according to the EPA. 'American families will pay the cost of these rollbacks in higher health care bills from emergency room visits, missed workdays and missed school days,' said Michelle Roos, executive director of Environmental Protection Network, a group of former EPA staff. 'The only people who benefit from these rollbacks are the biggest emitters of toxic pollution who don't want to install cleaner technologies,' Roos said.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Paper plants can emit as much CO2 as oil refineries. They're flying under the radar.
For more than a century, Covington, Virginia has had one dominating feature: its paper mill. Smokestacks tower over the community of 5,500, many of whom work there. But according to a new report, the mill spews more nitrogen oxide, methane, and greenhouse gases than is generally known. 'The snow is not white here. It's ash, it's nasty, and it's all over the place all of the time,' Robin Brown, a 65-year-old resident who lives near the mill, told the researchers. 'And there's that funky odor, like rotten eggs. It's all you can smell.' The Covington mill is among the industry's worst polluters, according to a report the nonprofit Environmental Integrity Project, or EIP, released today. It detailed similar issues at 185 such facilities nationwide. And, because of Environmental Protection Agency reporting rules, the report found that climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions from those mills are being undercounted by some 350 percent. The EPA houses the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, where facilities report their emissions of gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. But EPA facility totals don't include what are called biogenic CO2 emissions, or those that come from 'natural sources' such as wood, which is a primary fuel for the paper industry. According to the EIP investigation, the 10 pulp and paper mills that reported the most greenhouse gases in 2023 were able to lower their reported 'total' emissions by between 61 and 90 percent each because they burned wood products. Biogenic emission data is buried deeper within EPA data and, when those emissions are included, the largest paper mills can emit as much as a large oil refinery, the report noted. 'It masks the true impact of the industry,' said Courtney Bernhardt, director of research for EIP and an author of the report. 'It hides the fact that there is an urgent need to address.' The American Forest & Paper Association, which represents the industry, did not respond to a request for an interview. The EPA told Grist it would review the report. Smurfit West Rock, which owns the mill in Covington, did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. EIP also used data from the National Emissions Inventory, an annual estimate of the output of gases like sulfur dioxide, methane, carbon dioxide, and dozens of others. One of the major reasons that pollution levels are so high, Bernhardt explained, is that many paper plants continue using outdated equipment that is far less efficient than modern machinery. The boiler at the Covington mill, for example, is 85 years old. The average age across the 185 facilities that the report found data for was 41 years. The Clean Air Act effectively grandfathers in the equipment until it comes time to replace it, and the emissions reductions can be stark when that happens. Bernhardt cited the Ahlstrom's Thilmany Mill in Wisconsin as an example. The plant, built in 1883, replaced its boiler in 2020 and emissions of sulfur dioxide, a health-harming air pollutant, fell from 4,800 tons to 410 tons. A facility in Washington saw an 87 percent drop and one in Georgia plummeted 96 percent. 'There's going to be a large number of these plants that are going to need to install new boilers [in the next decade],' said Bernhardt. She would like them to move toward more efficient options, especially those that run on electricity derived from clean energy instead of natural gas. But it's unclear exactly how, or how quickly, any transition will unfold. 'Developing a technology that can both be financially attractive and reduce carbon dioxide emissions is not easy,' said Sunkyu Park, a professor at North Carolina State University who specializes in pulp and paper processing. His research focuses on trying to develop a more efficient 'recover boiler,' which accounts for the majority of CO2 emissions during production. He is studying electric options, as well as those that use less natural gas. His work remains at very early stages, but the goal is that 'eventually industry can implement that technology.' In the meantime, Bernhardt hopes the EIP's report can focus attention on cleaning up an industry that is often seen as an alternative to plastics, but carries its own baggage. 'We need paper. We need cardboard,' she said. '[But] there's a lot of greenwashing that makes paper seem cleaner than it really is.' This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Paper plants can emit as much CO2 as oil refineries. They're flying under the radar. on May 29, 2025.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump administration cutting Energy Star and climate reporting program
The Trump administration is cutting the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Energy Star program, which highlights energy efficient home appliances, according to sources and images of slides viewed by The Hill. According to one source, at a meeting Monday, staffers were told that Energy Star was being eliminated, as is the Climate Protection Partnerships division that houses it. Staffers were also told that the EPA was cutting its Climate Change division, which includes the agency's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. This program requires major polluters to report their planet-warming emissions. The Hill also viewed images of slides from a meeting with staffers that listed both the Climate Protection Partnership division and the Climate Change division as 'organization and programs eliminated.' The slides noted that staff 'may be reassigned to other positions.' 'In the briefing we heard that climate work will come to a standstill at EPA,' said Nicole Cantello, president of the AFGE Local 704 , a union representing EPA employees in the Midwest, in an email to The Hill. 'EPA's action is short sighted and disastrous for our people and our planet. With everything the nation is facing in confronting climate change, from dangerous wildfires to uncontrolled flooding, this is the time to ramp up the climate resiliency of our communities,' Cantello added. The plans were first reported by CNN. In a statement to The Hill, the EPA noted that it had announced a broad reorganization on Friday. 'With this action, EPA is delivering organizational improvements to the personnel structure that will directly benefit the American people and better advance the agency's core mission, while Powering the Great American Comeback,' said an agency spokesperson in an email. The news comes after the Trump administration indicated in its skinny budget that it wanted to cut funding from the Office of Atmospheric Protection, which includes Energy Star and the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. The White House has sought to cut staff across the board — but has taken particular aim at climate change, which President Trump has repeatedly downplayed. The president has also lamented pushes toward more energy efficient appliances. Much of his criticism, however, has focused on regulations rather than programs such as Energy Star, which is a voluntary partnership. Under the program, companies that meet energy efficiency specifications can display the Energy Star logo to inform consumers that the government considers their product to be efficient. The move to cut the program is getting significant pushback. 'If you wanted to raise families' energy bills, getting rid of the ENERGY STAR label would be a pretty good way,' said Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, in a written statement. 'This would take away basic information from consumers who want to choose cost-saving products easily.' Industry players have also expressed support for Energy Star, with various appliance companies and trade groups writing to the administration in March that it 'reduces burden and aligns with the laudable goal of freedom to choose from a wide variety of appliances.' Updated at 9:48 p.m. ET. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Hill
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Hill
EPA targets Energy Star program
According to a source, staffers were told at a meeting Monday that Energy Star was being eliminated, as is the Climate Protection Partnerships division that houses it. Staffers were also told that the EPA was cutting its Climate Change division, which includes the agency's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. This program requires major polluters to report their planet-warming emissions. The Hill also viewed images of slides from a meeting with staffers that listed both the Climate Protection Partnership division and the Climate Change division as 'organization and programs eliminated.' The slides noted that staff 'may be reassigned to other positions.' The plans were first reported by CNN. In a statement to The Hill, the EPA noted that it had announced a broad reorganization Friday. 'With this action, EPA is delivering organizational improvements to the personnel structure that will directly benefit the American people and better advance the agency's core mission, while Powering the Great American Comeback,' said an agency spokesperson in an email.
