"The Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday it has extended the comment timeline by 30 days on a draft rule on reducing mercury emissions and other toxic pollution from power plants but left the target for finalization of the rule unchanged.

The EPA proposed the rules in March that could force aging coal-fired power plants to chose between installing anti-pollution technology or shutting.

The agency took public comment on the rules for 60 days and extended it by 30 days on Tuesday, 'in our effort to be responsive to Congress and to build on the robust public comment process,' EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said in a release."

Timothy Gardner reports for Reuters June 22, 2011. [2]