NY Emission Rules

From the New York Times:

Making good on a vow that New York would act on its own if the federal government did not get tough on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, Gov. George E. Pataki yesterday proposed one of the most stringent mercury standards in the nation.

Under the draft proposal, New York would cut the level of mercury from electricity-generating stations in half by 2010. By 2015, the new state mercury standard would be toughened further, requiring a 90 percent reduction from current levels.

The state rule would be significantly more restrictive than a federal mercury standard set last year by the Bush administration. Under the federal rule, power plants must decrease mercury emissions 70 percent by 2018. Another major difference is that the federal plan allows generators to trade pollution credits, while New York's does not.