Ohio coal plants must now clean up their haze pollution, even if they plan to close

US environmental regulators approved Ohio's plan to reduce regional haze. This means coal-fired power plants in Ohio must install pollution controls, even if they are scheduled to shut down in the next few years.

For years, power plant operators could argue that installing expensive pollution controls was not "reasonable" if the plant was going to close soon. This rule change means that argument no longer works. It forces operators to invest in cleaner air now, regardless of future closure plans, shifting the cost of pollution control directly onto them.