A huge conservation achievement was formally announced today, an important victory long overdue. Today, EPA took the long-needed steps to clamp down on mercury and other forms of toxic pollutants emitted from coal plants. I want to extend my thanks to so many of you who have been working with NWF on this effort. You recall that we first raised this critical issue in September 1999 when we released “Clean the Rain, Clean the Lakes: Mercury in Rain Is Polluting the Great Lakes.” With your help, NWF has worked to keep attention focused on the need for these rules, and today, we have the important result. The new pollution limits on power plants will cut mercury emissions by 91%,  reduce acid gas emissions 91%, and significantly cut arsenic, lead and nickel emissions.

Our press release is on our media center here. Joe Mendelson’s expert blog is here.

Sincerely,

Larry J. Schweiger

President and CEO

National Wildlife Federation

Historic Limits on Toxic Mercury Become Final

NWF President and CEO Larry Schweiger Hails Conservation Victory Championed by President Obama and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson

 

December 21, 2011 (Washington, DC) – Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized new air pollution standards that will result in the first-ever national limits on the amount of mercury spewing from the nation’s coal-fired power plants. Over 20 years in the making, the new pollution limits on power plants will cut mercury emissions by 91 percent, while also cutting acid gas, arsenic, lead and nickel emissions.

Larry Schweiger, NWF president and CEO: “Our children and grandchildren will inherit a safer world thanks to the leadership of President Obama and Administrator Jackson. At long last, these prudent and overdue limits on unchecked mercury and toxic air pollution will ensure our fish will be safe to eat, and our children can breathe easier.”

Each year EPA’s new air toxic pollution rules will prevent 11,000 premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks, 130,000 cases of childhood asthma and 6,300 cases of acute bronchitis. It also will prevent mercury exposure to children that can adversely affect their developing brains – including effect on their ability to walk, talk, read and learn.

Mercury poses a massive threat to wildlife. Mercury pollution spewing from power plants settles in lakes and rivers where microscopic organisms convert the inorganic mercury into methylmercury, a toxin that moves up the food chain in fish and then other into other animals when they eat fish.

Every state has issued a fish advisory of some type because of unsafe mercury levels according to the National Wildlife Federation’s recent report, “Game Changers.” Roughly half of U.S. lakes and reservoirs have mercury amounts exceeding safe levels and nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury, according to EPA. Over half of human-caused mercury in the U. S. comes from coal-fired plants.

Over 900,000 Americans commented on the proposed rule, the vast majority of whom urged EPA to press ahead with mercury limits, including hundreds of hunting and fishing groups.

For more National Wildlife Federation news visit www.nwf.org/news

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