Sixteen AGs Sent Comments on EPA’s Proposed MATS Rule Update

JUNE 23, 2023

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison led a coalition of 16 attorneys general in submitting comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed updates to standards for hazardous emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants, known as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule. The AGs agreed with EPA’s assessment that the stronger standards are necessary, explaining the positive impact such standards would have by reducing the pollution burden borne by underserved communities. The AGs urged EPA to strengthen the standards even further, pointing to states that “have for years been controlling mercury emissions under state law at reasonable cost and often under stricter standards than the MATS Rule.” The coalition also urged EPA to consider stricter hydrogen chloride limits for acid gases.