U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced that she is an original cosponsor of legislation to help protect Americans from the harmful effects of mercury pollution.
The "Mercury Emissions Control Act" (MECA) would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue a new, stronger rule to control mercury emissions from power plants, as required by the Clean Air Act. The bipartisan legislation would also require the EPA to propose a regulation of hazardous air pollutants from power plants as was originally prescribed by the Clean Air Act. This regulation must include a reduction of mercury pollution by at least 90 percent, and must be proposed no later than October 1, 2008. The legislation was introduced by Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE).
“EPA's 2005 mercury rule was improperly crafted and ignored federal law,” noted Senator Collins. “The agency's flawed rule had excluded major sources of mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants until 2018, despite clear evidence that cost-effective mercury control technologies are available. EPA's own scientists, its Inspector General, the Government Accountability Office and now the courts have all found flaws in the rule. This bill requires EPA to establish a new rule that complies with the law and to propose that rule by October 1st of this year. EPA should develop a strong program based on science as quickly as possible in order to protect our citizens and our environment from this dangerously toxic chemical.”
A bipartisan group of seven other senators have cosponsored this legislation including Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Joe Biden (D-DE), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), John Kerry (D-MA), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ).
Studies show that six percent of American women of child-bearing age have blood mercury levels high enough to cause neurological problems in their unborn children and each year in this country, 630,000 children are born having been exposed to dangerous levels of mercury in the womb.
Several key health and environmental groups also are supporting the bill, including the Environmental Defense Fund, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the National Association of Clean Air Agencies and the American Lung Association.