Winds of Change Newsletter, September 2005     See sidebar for table of contents

States Suing EPA Over Proposed Mercury Pollution Standards

Fifteen states are suing the so-called US Environmental Protection Agency because its new standards on mercury pollution are too weak.

Most mercury in the United States comes from coal-fired power plant smokestacks. Air emissions fall into waterways and end up in fish.

Almost all states (including West Virginia and Ohio) have warnings against consuming too much fish because of the mercury, which is a neurotoxin that can damage the brain and nervous system. It is especially dangerous to children, even in small amounts.

Once again, the federal government is trying to weaken regulations for its fossil fuel friends – at the expense of our kids’ health.