|
HARRISBURG, Pa., April 26, 2006 /PRNewswire
Nearly half of the nation has voted, or is about to act, on state-specific plans rejecting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's flawed Clean Air Mercury Rule to control emissions from coal-fired power plants. "We are morally compelled to take effective action to safeguard our people against this toxic pollutant," said McGinty, who outlined Pennsylvania's state-specific rule Tuesday during testimony before the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. "Jobs in Pennsylvania also are threatened by EPA's rule. EPA encourages utilities to switch away from Pennsylvania coal," McGinty said. "Moreover, in allowing power companies to buy their way out of upgrading their plants to control mercury, the federal rule sets up the prospect that Pennsylvania ratepayers will pay to upgrade plants in other competing states. Our electric infrastructure -- which already is older and more outdated than that in other states -- will then fall further behind." In February, Governor Edward G. Rendell announced a state-specific mercury reduction proposal that ensures vastly greater protections to improve the environment and keep Pennsylvania residents healthy and safe. The state's proposed rule achieves at least 90 percent mercury reduction by 2015 -- a reduction that is nearly 40 percent greater and achieved in less time than under the federal rule. Pennsylvania is not alone. Because of the toxicological effects that mercury has on humans, wildlife and the environment, other states have announced their intention to do the same. Mercury is a persistent, bio- accumulative neurotoxin that can remain active in the environment for more than 10,000 years. Mercury accumulation in aquatic ecosystems in Pennsylvania, and 45 other states, has caused $1.6 billion worth of pollution damages to the state's recreational fishing industry. Earlier this week, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm ordered her state's Department of Environmental Quality to develop a rule requiring utilities to achieve the reductions by 2015. Public comment began March 9 on Georgia's plan to cut mercury by 90 percent between 2012 and 2015. In February, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty said he wanted legislation passed this year to reduce mercury emissions from large coal-fired power plants by 90 percent within the next several years. Today, 21 states - including Pennsylvania - have adopted, or are about to adopt, state-specific proposals to reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired electric generating units. Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Washington all have regulatory actions or legislation pending or are examining proposals that go beyond EPA's rule. Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey and Wisconsin have state-specific mercury reduction plans in place. "EPA's plan isn't just bad for Pennsylvania, it's bad for the entire country and puts the public at risk for continued exposure to toxic mercury," McGinty said. "We need to change course to keep our residents safe and our economy strong." There is an ever-increasingly compelling case for a state-specific rule to curb mercury emissions in Pennsylvania faster and more substantially than what EPA proposes. According to EPA's April 12 Toxic Release Inventory report, Pennsylvania moved from third to second in 2004 in the total amount of mercury pollution spewed from power plants. The commonwealth previously had been third behind Texas and Ohio, respectively. Texas remains first. Pennsylvania has 36 coal-fired power plants with 78 electric generating units that represent 20,000 megawatts of capacity. These units accounted for approximately three-fourths of the more than 5 tons of mercury emitted into the air from all contamination sources in the commonwealth, ranking us second only to Texas in terms of total mercury emissions. Details about Pennsylvania's state-specific mercury reduction plan are available on DEP's Web site at http://www.depweb.state.pa.us, Keywords: "Mercury Rule." For a transcript of the Secretary's testimony, use Keyword: "Testimony." SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection News Provided By |
