Advanced Monitoring Systems Center Completes Testing of Mercury Monitoring Systems

 

Columbus, OH--The Advanced Monitoring Systems (AMS) Center of EPA's Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) program recently completed a field test of four commercially available systems for monitoring mercury emissions in power plant stacks.

 

Under the Clean Air Mercury Rule issued by EPA in 2005, most power plants are required to monitor their mercury emissions using such systems beginning January 1, 2009.

 

The AMS Center conducted the tests in the summer of 2006 at the R.M. Schahfer Generating Station of the Northern Indiana Public Service Company, near Valparaiso, Indiana. Each of the systems tested showed the capability to determine mercury in the stack relatively accurately, but the four systems differed in terms of operational difficulties, maintenance needs, and overall quality of data. ETV performance reports for each of the systems tested will be available soon at www.epa.gov/etv, under the AMS Center.

 

"A key characteristic of this test site was the relatively low mercury level in the stack gas," said Battelle's Tom Kelly, the Verification Test Coordinator for the test. "These results will help to identify systems that will play an important role in reducing mercury emissions and providing significant environmental, human health, and economic benefits."

 

The AMS Center, which is managed by Battelle, is the component of the ETV program that tests the performance of environmental monitoring systems for air, water, and soil contaminants. The AMS Center collaborated with the Illinois Clean Coal Institute and the Northern Indiana Public Service Company on the test.

 

Battelle is the world's largest non-profit independent research and development organization, with 20,000 employees in more than 120 locations worldwide, including five national laboratories Battelle manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle conducts $3.8 billion in R&D annually through contract research, laboratory management, and technology commercialization. Battelle provides innovative solutions to some of the world's most important problems including global climate change, sustainable energy technologies, high performance materials, next generation healthcare diagnostics and therapeutics, and advanced security solutions for people, infrastructure, and the nation. Battelle has a long history of developing successful commercial products in collaboration with its clients, ranging from products to fight diabetes, cancer, and heart disease to the development of the office copier machine (Xerox). As a non-profit charitable trust with an eye toward the future, Battelle actively supports and promotes science and math education.

 

For more information, visit www.battelle.org or contact Media Relations Manager Mark Berry at (614) 424-5544 or berrym@battelle.org.