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Great Lakes
Article:
EPA FORMALIZES "LEAVE OUR
CHILDREN BEHIND" MERCURY RULE
Statement of U.S. PIRG Staff Attorney Zach Corrigan
02/05/04
Today's proposal by EPA to forego serious action on curbing
mercury emissions from power plants marks a radical departure
from the steady forward progress that America has been
making toward protecting women and children by reducing
this toxic chemical in our food supply.
The Bush administration is proposing to allow the single
largest unregulated source of mercury to continue emitting
high levels for at least the next decade, leaving our
children exposed to risks of developing problems with
walking, talking, and even learning from mercury pollution.
The Administration should call this the "Leave Our
Children Behind" rule, because the inevitable consequence
will be more developmental problems for our children from
the accumulation of mercury in our environment.
In 2000, the EPA determined that due to the serious health
threat posed by mercury, it should regulate mercury from
power plants. In 2001, EPA estimated that under the Clean
Air Act, available technologies could reduce 90 percent
of mercury from power plants, bringing mercury emissions
down to roughly 5 tons per year by 2008.
Today's proposal departs dramatically from this course,
and sets a new course favoring the polluters. EPA's proposal
weakens mercury protections by no longer considering mercury
a hazardous pollutant, despite growing evidence to the
contrary. Further, EPA's proposal allows some power plants
to avoid reducing mercury emissions, likely creating toxic
mercury hotspots. In the end, all of EPA's proposals allow
power plants to emit six to seven times more mercury pollution
into our airways for a decade longer compared to EPA's
2001 determination.
Today marks the beginning of a sixty-day public comment
period, during which EPA will host three hearings and
the public can make its voice heard. EPA should extend
the public comment period and hold more public hearings
so that people in every region affected by this health
threat have an opportunity to make their concerns known.
EPA should also withdraw its illegal proposal to regulate
mercury under the less-stringent program that is only
meant to be used for non-hazardous pollutants. Finally,
EPA should implement the law, and require the tightest
mercury controls technologically possible by 2008.
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