Natural Gas Industry Challenges EPA's Costly Rule Targeting Emissions

Natural gas producers, engine manufacturers, and other industry groups have launched an assault on the U.S. EPA's recent rule requiring operators of existing stationary natural gas-fired engines to control emissions of certain hazardous air pollutants. Among other assertions, they claim that this latest rulemaking imposes requirements on small engines that cannot be practically implemented, and that EPA's cost-benefit analysis was substantially flawed, leading to unreasonably low emission limits.

Background: On August 20, 2010, EPA issued its final rule targeted at reducing the emissions of formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, acrolein and other air toxins from spark-ignited (SI) reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE), which are engines that burn gasoline, natural gas and landfill gas. SI RICEs generate electric power, pump fluids or compress air for machinery. Outside the utility context, such internal combustion engines are most frequently used in natural gas