Coal-Fired Power Plant Enforcement

The coal-fired power plant industry is an EPA national enforcement priority. Since 1999, EPA has pursued a coordinated, integrated compliance and enforcement strategy to address Clean Air Act (CAA) New Source Review compliance issues at the nation's coal-fired power plants. Many of these cases have resulted in settlements or are being argued in court.

Coal-Fired Power Plant Lawsuits

On November 3, 1999, the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency announced the filing of civil complaints against seven electric utility companies operating coal-fired power plants in the Midwest and Southeast, charging that their plants illegally released massive amounts of air pollutants over a period of several years and contributed some of the most severe environmental problems facing the United States today. The companies involved are American Electric Power Company, Cinergy, FirstEnergy, Illinois Power, Southern Indiana Gas & Electric Company, Southern Company and Tampa Electric Company. In separate but related actions, EPA issued Notices of Violations to these same companies, plus an administrative order against the Tennessee Valley Authority. Perhaps the most comprehensive, coordinated enforcement effort under the Clean Air Act to date, the complaints, Notices of Violation and administrative order cover 32 plants located in 10 states. 

Coal-Fired Power Plant Settlement

Enforcement

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Last updated on March 19, 2024