EPA Proposes First Standard For Mercury Pollution From Power Plants

HOUSTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a proposal to regulate emissions from coal-fired power plants, including rules limiting mercury pollution for the first time.

The proposal is being praised by environmental and medical groups who say it will clean the air and preserve health.

But industry has long opposed such regulations, saying stringent caps harm their ability to remain financially viable.

If the proposals become law they would have the greatest impact in Texas, which is home to more coal-fired power plants than any other state. Texas has at least 17 such plants and another dozen in various stages of permitting.

Republicans have opposed new, more stringent rules recently issued by the EPA.

The agency is under a court order to regulate mercury and other air pollutants.

Comments

[Longtimeliberal]

02:07 PM on 03/19/2011

Go EPA!

[UberdanSounds]

12:24 PM on 03/19/2011

Toxic mercury exposure is so widespread in this country that as many as 1 in 6 women of childbearing age has mercury levels in her blood high enough to put a baby at risk of mercury poisoning,1

This potent neurotoxin has been totally unregulated by the EPA, until now. The EPA just announced a significant rule to reduce emissions of mercury, arsenic, led, dioxins, acid gas, and six dozen other toxic chemicals that power plants are now able to freely dump into our air.

It's the most important clean air rule since the Clean Air Act was updated in 1990 -- and the EPA is predictably under tremendous pressure by the coal industry and other polluters to weaken it.

This is a landmark rule and we need a huge show of support to make sure big polluters don't succeed in weakening it. I just submitted a comment to the EPA. Please add your name too help reduce mercury, arsenic and led in our air:

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/air_toxics/?r_by=18188-3074172-gspG0yx&rc=paste1

[rpr]

04:55 PM on 03/17/2011

Quick! De-fund the EPA!
Signed, the Koch brothers.