Protect Lake Michigan News

138 Representatives send a letter opposing the weakened mercury protections in Bush’s "Clear Skies" plan

As the new home of Illinois PIRG's environmental work, Environment Illinois can be contacted with any questions regarding this news release.

Led by Illinois U.S. Reps. Kirk and Schakowsky, 138 Members of Congress (including Reps. Kirk and Schakowsky) sent a letter to President Bush today expressing their concern over his proposal to weaken crucial aspects of the Clean Air Act that regulate mercury pollution for old, coal-burning electric power plants, as the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy and Air Quality subcommittee prepared to hear testimony on Tuesday from the EPA on the Bush administration’s air pollution legislation.

In sending their letter, U.S. Representatives joined Reps. Jan Schakowsky and Mark Kirk urging the President to make "changes to the proposed ‘Clear Skies’ legislation to ensure that mercury emissions are stronger, not weaker, than current law."

Mercury contamination from power plants is a widespread and growing public health threat. Forty-three states currently have advisories in effect warning citizens to reduce or avoid fish consumption because of mercury contamination, compared to only 27 states in 1993-- a 60% increase in the past decade.

The Representatives’ letter explained some of the risks associated with this increase:

"Mercury emissions jeopardize the environment and public health, especially the health of young children. Mercury is a potent bioaccumulative neurotoxin, which can hurt a developing fetus and young child. In July 2000, the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences agreed with Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) estimate that 60,000 newborns may be at risk for neurodevelopmental effects from in utero exposure to mercury. This month, the Center for Disease Control released a study that determined that almost eight percent of the roughly 61 million American women of child-bearing age had blood levels of mercury exceeding the precautionary standard set by the EPA"

"If President Bush succeeds in dismantling the Clean Air Act’s mercury rules, Americans will lose their best protection against this very toxic substance," said Diane E. Brown, executive director for the Illinois Public Interest Research Group (Illinois PIRG). "We cannot just let the nation’s largest source of mercury pollution off the hook."

While the Bush administration claims that its plan will reduce mercury emissions, it would actually allow far more mercury pollution than faithful enforcement of the current Clean Air Act—for decades longer. The Bush administration’s plan delays any mercury reductions to 2010 and then allows 26 tons in 2010 and 15 tons through 2018. By contrast, the current rules would be effective in 2008, and could reduce power plant mercury emissions to a little as five tons per year.

Read the Illinois PIRG Education Fund report "Fishing for Trouble: How Toxic Mercury Contaminates Our Waterways and Threatens Recreational Fishing."