April 5, 2023
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency is tightening rules that limit emissions of mercury and other harmful pollutants from coal-fired power plants, updating standards imposed more than a decade ago, according to an article from NPR on April 5.
The rules proposed Wednesday would lower emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants that can harm brain development of young children and contribute to heart attacks and other health problems in adults.
The move follows a legal finding by EPA in February that regulating toxic emissions under the Clean Air Act is “appropriate and necessary” to protect the public health. The Feb. 17 finding reversed a move late in President Donald Trump’s administration to roll back emissions standards.
“By leveraging proven, emissions-reduction measures available at reasonable costs and encouraging new, advanced control technologies, we can reduce hazardous pollution from coal-fired power plants — protecting our planet and improving public health for all,” Regan said in a statement.
The rule is expected to become final in 2024
The proposed rule is expected to become final next year, “ensuring historic protections for communities across the nation, especially for our children and our vulnerable populations,” Regan said.
The proposal is in line with a larger push by the EPA under President Joe Biden to restore dozens of federal environmental protections that were rolled back by Trump’s administration, including reinstating rigorous environmental reviews for large infrastructure projects, protecting thousands of waterways and preserving endangered species.
Coal-fired power plants are the largest single man-made source of mercury pollutants, which enter the food chain through fish and other items that people consume. Mercury can affect the nervous system and kidneys; the World Health Organization says fetuses are especially vulnerable to birth defects via exposure in a mother’s womb.
Environmental and public health groups praise the proposal
Environmental and public health groups praised the EPA proposal, saying it protects Americans, especially children, from some of the most dangerous forms of air pollution.
“It’s alarming to think that toxic pollutants from coal plants can build up in places like Lake Michigan,” where many Americans camp and swim during the summer, “and where people fish to feed their families,” Bender said. “Our kids deserve to live and play in a healthy, safe environment, and our leaders must do everything in their power to make that a reality.”