EPA rejects Hawaii’s clean-air plan to cut power-plant haze

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Environmental Protection Agency has partially rejected Hawaii’s plan to reduce haze-causing pollution from aging oil-burning power plants.

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Under the federal Regional Haze Rule, states are required to develop plans every 10 years to reduce pollution that affects visibility in national parks and wilderness areas. In Hawaii, that requirement applies to the areas around Hawaii Volcanoes and Haleakala national parks.

The EPA approved parts of Hawaii’s plan that cover visibility calculations, progress tracking, monitoring and other reporting requirements.

But the EPA rejected the long-term strategy — including an enforceable shutdown of several power plant units on Hawaii Island and Maui — and also disapproved the state’s reasonable progress goals and required consultation with federal land managers.

The EPA said Hawaii’s plan to shut down oil-fired units does not comply with the Clean Air Act because it lacks the consent of the units’ owner and, the agency said, is not needed to meet regional haze requirements.

The EPA also voiced concerns about grid reliability, saying the early closure of the Kanoelehua-Hill generating station on Hawaii Island and the Kahului generating station on Maui could prevent the delivery of affordable, reliable energy to island residents and businesses.

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Environmental groups say without the plan, nearly 8,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, along with the fine particles they form, will continue to be released, contributing to haze and potential health concerns in nearby communities.

“Hawaii’s stunning national parks are a showcase for some of the most unique and beautiful landscapes in the world,” said Ulla Reeves, Clean Air Program director for the National Parks Conservation Association. “When the EPA disapproved Hawaii’s plan to protect park air, they put parks, visitors and communities at risk.”

According to the groups, Hawaiian Electric had previously agreed to retire several oil-burning plants rather than install additional pollution controls, but later asked the EPA to release it from those commitments, citing grid reliability concerns.

“To keep fossil fuel plants running, the Trump EPA is twisting the law to override states’ ability to protect their own air and the health of the communities that will breathe it,” said Abi Vijayan, senior climate attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The EPA says Hawaii must submit a revised plan or the agency will need to issue a federal implementation plan within two years.

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Environmental advocates said they plan to challenge the EPA’s action in court.