EHS Today
  • Magazine Subscription
  • ENewsletters
  • EHS Education
  • Safety Leadership Conference
  • America's Safest Companies
    • Search
  • EHS Today Intelligence
  • Safety
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Standards
  • Safety Technology
  • Training & Engagement
  • Leadership
  • Topics
    EHS IntelligenceEnvironmentHealthSafetyLeadershipStandardsConstructionPPESafety TechnologyTraining & EngagementEmergency ManagementCOVID-19 CrisisIndustrial Hygiene
    Resources
    Member BenefitsSafety Leadership ConferenceEHS EducationAmerica's Safest Companies AwardsWebinarsWhite PapersWorkplace Safety AcademyMagazine SubscriptioneNewsletter SubscriptionLatest HeadlinesContact UsAdvertisePress ReleasesPrivacy & Cookie PolicyTerms of Service
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/EHS-Today/66542218626?ref=ts
    https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4355311
    https://twitter.com/EHSToday
    1. Archive

    EPA Asks Court to Dismiss Mercury Lawsuit

    April 12, 2001
    The Bush Administration is asking a federal appeals court to\r\nuphold a former Clinton Administration policy to regulate mercury\r\npollution from coal-burning power plants.
    EHS Today Staff

    The Bush Administration is asking a federal appeals court to uphold a former Clinton Administration policy to regulate mercury pollution from coal-burning power plants.

    EPA asked the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., in a motion filed Monday, to dismiss a suit challenging the agency''s decision in December to begin ordering reductions in the estimated 40 tons of mercury emitted annually from power plant smokestacks.

    The court action represents a second instance in which the new Republican administration has sided with its Democratic predecessor and environmentalists against industry.

    The Bush Administration and EPA have recently abandoned many former plans for stricter environmental protection initiated in the Clinton era.

    Last month, Bush got the support of industry groups when he backed off a campaign pledge to limit the amounts of carbon dioxide put out by power plants.

    Bush''s reversal on carbon dioxide had many wondering if the White House would favor the Clinton plans on mercury emissions.

    The Clinton EPA announced the plan to crack down on power plant mercury, but did not say how much utilities would have to reduce emissions.

    The motion by the White House says the suit by the Edison Electric Institute -- a trade association of investor-owned utilities -- and another industry group is premature since the agency hasn''t taken final action yet.

    "The preliminary decision to list a hazardous air pollutant or a category of sources emitting such pollutants is unambiguously defined not to be a final agency action subject to judicial review," said the motion.

    Many of Bush''s environmental policy decisions generated a recent surge of criticisms by environmentalists, but one green group said they saw hope in the EPA request.

    "EPA''s action is welcome news that the agency is willing to stand up to the power plant industry to protect people and wildlife from power plant pollution," said Felice Stadler, national policy director of the National Wildlife Federation''s (NWF) Clean the Rain Campaign. "We are seeing the first indication that EPA may not cave in to the power plant industry on mercury, as they did on global climate change."

    NWF and a coalition of environmental organizations also filed a motion to dismiss the electric utility industry''s lawsuit against EPA.

    The green groups reported that power plants in the United States emit 100,000 pounds of mercury into the air each year.

    The Center for Disease Control and Prevention last month released a study indicating that 1 in 10 women of childbearing years had levels of mercury in their bodies that exceed EPA safe level, creating a risk of neurological problems for their newborns.

    by Virginia Sutcliffe

    Continue Reading

    CNH Industrial-Saskatoon's Tech-Focused Safety in the Spotlight of NSC's Latest Research

    If You Think It Can’t Happen to You, Think Again: A Tornado Story

    Sponsored Recommendations

    Is Your Safety Program Effective? 10 Questions Every Safety Leader Should Ask

    Nov. 7, 2023

    Purposeful Presence: How Leaders Show Up to Amp Up Performance

    Nov. 7, 2023

    The Truth and Challenges of Cultivating Chronic Unease

    Nov. 7, 2023

    Autopsy of an Injury Uncovering 18 Million Exposures in One Activity

    Nov. 7, 2023

    Voice your opinion!

    To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!

    I already have an account

    New

    The ROI of Visual AI for HSE - Unlocking the Power of Data

    Clear Vision: Safeguarding Construction Workers' Eyes on the Job

    If You Think It Can’t Happen to You, Think Again: A Tornado Story

    Most Read

    So You Think You Know a Lot about OSHA? (Quiz)

    Not Many Leaders are Confident in Their Well-Being Programs

    How Can Flourishing Help Worker Well-Being?


    Sponsored

    Safety maturity curve - A journey from lagging indicators to leading indicators

    10 EHS Dashboards that drive your decisions for a healthy and safe workplace

    5 Tactics to Build Stronger Employee Engagement for a Safer Workplace

    EHS Today
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/EHS-Today/66542218626?ref=ts
    https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4355311
    https://twitter.com/EHSToday
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Do Not Sell or Share
    • Privacy & Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    © 2023 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
    Endeavor Business Media Logo