Penn. DEP chief calls federal plan for mercury controls a 'disaster'

State DEP chief calls federal plan for mercury controls a 'disaster'

Tuesday, December 16, 2003

By Don Hopey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Bush administration's proposal to give power plants up to 15 years to curb unhealthy mercury pollution would be an "economic blow and a public health disaster" for Pennsylvania, state Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty said.

Yesterday's federal proposal backs off imposing mercury controls at all of the nation's 1,100 coal- and oil-fired power plants in favor of a cap-and-trade system that would allow utilities to reduce mercury emissions from some plants but not others. Its goals are reductions of 14 tons or 30 percent by 2010 and 70 percent by 2018.

The proposal comes a week after a science advisory panel said the government should be issuing stronger warnings about mercury dangers to pregnant women.
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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03350/251855.stm

Why not put off 'till tomorrow what can be fixed today?

It is only the health of our citizens.

I'll write my Congressman because NJ has also been bearing the brunt of this problem. I don't really think that will help though.

Maine has two gop Senators and NH voted for *bush in 2000. I just read an article where Mainers refer to their state as "the tailpipe of America". All of the smokestack emissions blow out of the continent through New England.

I doubt if Leavitt will come to Maine to present his pollution proposals, but if he comes to NJ, you ought to counter his visit with letters to the editor and "demonstrations" at the press conference.