2006 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1293 – Mercury emissions control plan

SENATE BILL NO. 1293

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Bill Status



S1293..............................................by STENNETT, KELLY, WERK
MERCURY EMISSIONS CONTROL PLAN - Amends existing law to provide that the
Board of Environmental Quality shall promulgate rules and adopt a state
mercury emissions control plan to ensure that no thermal power generating
facility not in operation on January 1, 2006, that emits more than one
pound of mercury per year into the air, shall be permitted or constructed
in the state of Idaho; and to provide that the requirements regarding
stringency of Board of Environmental Quality rules versus federal law or
regulations shall not apply to rules providing a state mercury emissions
control plan.
                                                                        
01/20    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
01/23    Rpt prt - to Health/Wel

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-eighth Legislature                   Second Regular Session - 2006
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                       IN THE SENATE
                                                                        
                                    SENATE BILL NO. 1293
                                                                        
                                  BY STENNETT, KELLY, WERK
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT; AMENDING SECTION 39-118B, IDAHO CODE,  TO  DELETE
  3        AN  ARCHAIC  TERM  AND  TO PROVIDE THAT THE BOARD OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
  4        SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND ADOPT A STATE MERCURY EMISSIONS CONTROL PLAN TO
  5        ENSURE THAT NO THERMAL POWER GENERATING FACILITY NOT IN OPERATION ON JANU-
  6        ARY 1, 2006, THAT EMITS MORE THAN ONE POUND OF MERCURY PER YEAR  INTO  THE
  7        AIR  SHALL BE PERMITTED OR CONSTRUCTED IN THE STATE OF IDAHO; AND AMENDING
  8        SECTION 39-107D, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE THAT  THE  REQUIREMENTS  REGARDING
  9        STRINGENCY  OF  BOARD OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY RULES VERSUS FEDERAL LAW OR
 10        REGULATIONS SHALL NOT APPLY TO RULES PROVIDING A STATE  MERCURY  EMISSIONS
 11        CONTROL  PLAN;  DECLARING  AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING RETROACTIVE APPLICA-
 12        TION.
                                                                        
 13    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
 14        SECTION 1.  That Section 39-118B, Idaho Code, be, and the same  is  hereby
 15    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 16        39-118B.  RELATIONSHIP  TO FEDERAL LAW. (1) The board may promulgate rules
 17    and regulations to ensure that the state of Idaho is in  compliance  with  the
 18    provisions  of the federal clean air act. To the extent that the federal clean
 19    air act sets forth or the United States environmental protection agency adopts
 20    or has adopted a specific standard, emission limitation or control  technology
 21    requirement under the clean air act, a more stringent standard, emission limi-
 22    tation  or  control  technology requirement promulgated by the board shall not
 23    become effective until specifically approved by statute.
 24        (2)  The board shall promulgate rules and adopt a state mercury  emissions
 25    control plan to ensure that no thermal power generating facility not in opera-
 26    tion  on  January  1,  2006, that emits more than one (1) pound of mercury per
 27    year into the air shall be permitted or constructed in the state of Idaho.
                                                                        
 28        SECTION 2.  That Section 39-107D, Idaho Code, be, and the same  is  hereby
 29    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 30        39-107D.  RULES  OF  DEPARTMENT OR BOARD. (1) The legislature directs that
 31    any rule formulated and recommended by the department to the  board  which  is
 32    broader  in  scope  or more stringent than federal law or regulations, or pro-
 33    poses to regulate an activity not regulated by the federal government, is sub-
 34    ject to the following additional requirements: the notice of proposed rulemak-
 35    ing and rulemaking record requirements under chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code,
 36    must clearly specify that the proposed rule, or portions of the proposed rule,
 37    are broader in scope or more stringent than federal  law  or  regulations,  or
 38    regulate  an  activity  not regulated by the federal government, and delineate
 39    which portions of the proposed rule are broader in  scope  or  more  stringent
 40    than federal law or  regulations, or regulate an activity not regulated by the
 41    federal government.
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1        (2)  To  the  degree that a department action is based on science, in pro-
  2    posing any rule or portions of any rule subject to this section,  the  depart-
  3    ment shall utilize:
  4        (a)  The  best available peer reviewed science and supporting studies con-
  5        ducted in accordance with sound and objective scientific practices; and
  6        (b)  Data collected by accepted methods or best available methods  if  the
  7        reliability  of the method and the nature of the decision justifies use of
  8        the data.
  9        (3)  Any proposed rule subject to this section which proposes  a  standard
 10    necessary  to  protect  human health and the environment shall also include in
 11    the rulemaking record requirements under chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code, the
 12    following additional information:
 13        (a)  Identification of each population or receptor addressed by  an  esti-
 14        mate of public health effects or environmental effects; and
 15        (b)  Identification  of  the expected risk or central estimate of risk for
 16        the specific population or receptor; and
 17        (c)  Identification of each appropriate upper bound or lower  bound  esti-
 18        mate of risk; and
 19        (d)  Identification  of  each  significant  uncertainty  identified in the
 20        process of the  assessment  of  public  health  effects  or  environmental
 21        effects  and  any  studies that would assist in resolving the uncertainty;
 22        and
 23        (e)  Identification of studies known to the department that  support,  are
 24        directly  relevant  to,  or  fail to support any estimate of public health
 25        effects or environmental effects and the  methodology  used  to  reconcile
 26        inconsistencies in the data.
 27        (4)  The  department  shall  also  include  a  summary  of the information
 28    required by subsection (3)  of  this  section  in  the  notice  of  rulemaking
 29    required by chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code.
 30        (5)  Any  rule  promulgated  or  adopted  by the board which is broader in
 31    scope or more stringent than federal law or regulations, or which regulates an
 32    activity not regulated by the federal government, submitted  to  the  standing
 33    committee  of  the  legislature pursuant to section 67-5291, Idaho Code, shall
 34    include a notice by the board identifying the portions  of  the  adopted  rule
 35    that  are  broader  in  scope  or more stringent than federal law or rules, or
 36    which regulate an activity not regulated by the federal government.
 37        (6)  Nothing provided herein is intended to alter the scope or  effect  of
 38    sections  39-105(3)(g)(v),  39-118B,  39-3601,  39-4404,  39-6205, 39-7210 and
 39    39-7404, Idaho Code, or any other provision of state law which limits or  pro-
 40    hibits  agency action or rulemaking that is broader in scope or more stringent
 41    than federal law or regulations.
 42        (7)  The provisions of this section shall not apply to  rules  promulgated
 43    or  adopted  by the board pursuant to subsection (2) of section 39-118B, Idaho
 44    Code.
                                                                        
 45        SECTION 3.  An emergency existing  therefor,  which  emergency  is  hereby
 46    declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its
 47    passage and approval, and retroactively to January 1, 2006.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

                             RS 15722

Mercury is a persistent, toxic pollutant that accumulates in the
food chain.  All forms of mercury are poisonous to humans. 
Concentrations of mercury pollution in the air can have adverse
effects on humans and animals.  Mercury emissions can also reach
lakes, rivers and estuaries and eventually build up in fish
tissue and other parts of the ecosystem in the form of
methylmercury.  Unlike the more highly industrialized states in
the East and Midwest, under federal standards, Idaho presently
has zero emissions of mercury from coal-fired thermal power
generating facility.  The purpose of this legislation is to
ensure that Idaho stays that way.


                          FISCAL IMPACT  

The allowance of mercury emissions from coal-fired electric
utility steam generating units in Idaho would create a fiscal
impact in the form of serious health problems for the citizens
downwind from the units, loss of tourism, and damage to key
natural-resource based industries in the state including farms,
ranches and our fish production facilities.



Contact    
Name:   Sen. Clint Stennett  
        Sen. Kate Kelly
        Sen. Elliot Werk  
        Rep. Wendy Jaquet     

Phone:   332-1351



STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                         S1293