President Obama & EPA Protect Public Health, Announce Landmark Mercury Standard for Power Plants

Environment Virginia

Richmond, VA – Today, President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first-ever nationwide standard for mercury and air toxics pollution from power plants. A record 907,000 Americans submitted comments on the standard, which is expected to cut toxic mercury pollution from power plants by 90 percent.

“Today President Obama stood up to the polluters and protected kids’ health,” said Caroline Kory, State Associate with Environment Virginia. “This landmark achievement reflects what every parent knows, which is that powering our homes should not poison Virginia’s kids.”

Power plants are the largest single source of mercury pollution in the U.S., and exposure to mercury and other air toxics is linked to cancer, heart disease, neurological damage, birth defects, asthma attacks and premature death. Right now, mercury pollution is so widespread that one in ten American women of childbearing age has enough mercury in her blood to put her baby at risk, should she become pregnant. By limiting emissions of mercury and air toxics from power plants, the Obama administration’s new standard is expected to prevent 130,000 cases of childhood asthma symptoms and save 11,000 lives every year.

Environment Virginia was joined by the Virginia Sierra Club in praising today’s announcement. “Finally, after 20 years of waiting, the EPA is moving to protect Virginia’s children,” said Phillip Ellis, a Virginia Sierra Club organizer. “We are delighted to see the the Obama Administration taking this landmark action to limit mercury pollution.”

For decades, the coal industry, many utilities and their allies in Congress and past administrations have successfully delayed cutting mercury and other toxic air pollutants from power plants to protect public health, even though technology to control toxic air pollution is widely available, and already being used by some power plants.

The new life-saving standard announced today has widespread public support in Virginia and nationwide. Last summer, roughly 907,000 Americans submitted comments on the new standards—the most comments ever received for an EPA rule—and the vast majority of them were in support of the standard. 

“It’s abundantly clear that Virginians and people across the country want cleaner air, healthier kids, and less toxic pollution spewed into our air, and thankfully, President Obama and EPA are taking action,” said Kory. “This landmark standard will improve Virginians’ quality of life and protect children today and for generations to come from known poisons.”

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Environment Virginia is a state-wide, citizen-based, environmental advocacy organization working for clean air, clean water and open space.