Page "Acid rain" Paragraph 17

Meanwhile, in 1989, the US Congress passed a series of amendments to the Clean Air Act.

Title IV of these amendments established the Acid Rain Program, a cap and trade system designed to control emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

Title IV called for a total reduction of about 10 million tons of SO < sub > 2 </ sub > emissions from power plants.

It was implemented in two phases.

Phase I began in 1995, and limited sulfur dioxide emissions from 110 of the largest power plants to a combined total of 8. 7 million tons of sulfur dioxide.

One power plant in New England ( Merrimack ) was in Phase I.

Four other plants ( Newington, Mount Tom, Brayton Point, and Salem Harbor ) were added under other provisions of the program.

Phase II began in 2000, and affects most of the power plants in the country.