MERCURY REGS & DIRTY MONEY IN POLITICS: BUSH'S MERCURY PROPOSAL COMMENT PERIOD ENDS JUNE 29 

Tune in NOW with Bill Moyers tonight (Friday, June 25) at 9 p.m. on PBS for a look at the Bush administration's EPA proposal on regulating coal-fired power plant emissions of mercury, a toxin linked to neurological disorders in newborns. According to the EPA's own analysis, 630,000 babies born in the U.S. this year could have mercury blood levels at or above the "safety" limit. So why are many critics, including state attorneys general, U.S. senators, U.S. Congressmen and the March of Dimes calling on the EPA to withdraw the proposed rule and come up with a faster, safer alternative? NOW examines how the EPA's close relationship to corporate interests may be influencing regulation.

Click here to comment now on the EPA's weak proposal to reduce the danger posed by mercury from power plants. Instead of protecting mothers and children from mercury poisoning, this proposal protects the energy industry by setting targets so weak that the industry will be allowed to continue polluting without using state of the art mercury controls.

There's no excuse for the Bush EPA proposal. 18 million Americans live close to mercury-emitting power plants and 1.5 million children are exposed to toxic mercury. Read the League of Conservation Voters' report, Poisoning our Skies.   Then, click here to take action.

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STOP COAL FROM WRITING ITS OWN RULES, ATTEND A MONDAY MEETING

The coal industry is once again trying to side-step the public process (and, thus, side-swipe democracy) by attempting to promulgate

regulations for itself. We're talking manganese and aluminum limits for streams…too much is dangerous for aquatic life, and you, too.

If you can, on June 28 please attend a meeting of  the West Virginia Environmental Quality Board. The board meets in the second floor

conference room at 1615 Washington St., E , Charleston , WV . The issues of interest should be addressed beginning at 10 a.m.  

"Techies" will be there to present arguments and submit comments for our side, but they could sure benefit from the presence of many of

your smiling faces. Your faces will help the board remember who it is protecting. Your presence will help the board find the courage

needed to protect (and strengthen!) the water quality standards it set.

A read of Ken Ward's Charleston Gazette article: State to let coal defend water quality rule to EPA  will help explain what is going on.

For another story on the Environmental Quality Board, click here.

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UPDATE ON JACK SPADARO

Jack Spadaro will be seeking justice from the Merit System Protection Board , since the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) continues to drag out the investigation into his case and says, so far, it hasn't found any evidence of Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) retaliation against Jack for his whistleblowing.  That's not surprising,  because since Bush occupied the Whitehouse 3 and a 1/2 years ago, the OSC has only made one prosecution. You can click here for info on contacting  the OSC on Jack's behalf.   

Jack expects he will have to report to the MSHA office in Pittsburgh by the end of the month. MSHA demoted him and is sending him there. All this, despite the fact that the Department of Labor's Inspector General has finalized a report which upholds all of Jack's charges against MSHA.    We'll update you as we learn more.  

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