Cleaner Skies Thanks To Eastern Facilities

Power plants and other large facilities in the East reduced ozone-forming emissions by 11 percent between 2004 and 2005, under an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cap and trade program.

The latest analysis from the EPA illustrates that the agency's NOx Budget Trading Program continues to reduce the amount of the pollutant nitrogen oxide (NOx) released into the nation's skies.

The annual report shows that eastern states have reduced NOx emissions by 57 percent since 2000 and by 72 percent since 1990. Additionally, about 70 percent of the areas that did not meet national air quality standard for 8-hour ozone in 2004 now have better air quality than the standard requires.

The NOx Budget Trading Program provides electric generating units, such as manufacturing facilities, with options to reduce ozone emissions, such as adding emission control technologies, replacing existing controls with more advanced technologies or optimizing existing controls.