http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=45447WASHINGTON, April 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- On the heels of recent revelations of EPA's hiding information about the health effects of mercury exposure, Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) Wednesday introduced a comprehensive bill to control mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants and other sources.
Leahy highlighted the gap between the tougher standards of his "Omnibus Mercury Emissions Reduction Act" and the Administration's mercury proposal that was finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on March 15.
"The Administration persists in siding with big polluters against the health interests of the American people," said Leahy. "It is clear that the Administration is not going to follow the Clean Air Act and protect women and children from this toxic pollutant. Our bill offers the protection the public expects and deserves, both from the mercury spewing out of power plants, and also from other major sources."
"Mercury is among the least-controlled and most dangerous toxins threatening pregnant women and children in America today," said Snowe. "Because mercury pollution knows no borders, we must institute a sensible national approach to better control its use. Our bill takes action where EPA's new mercury rule does not -- it requires every coal-fired power plant to reduce its emissions, which is the only way to reduce dangerously high concentrations of mercury in Maine and other parts of the country."
The Leahy-Snowe bill would reduce the annual 48 tons of mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants by 90 percent by 2010. The Administration's mercury proposal would only reduce mercury emissions by 22 percent by 2010. The Vermont senator said that falls far short of the Leahy-Snowe proposal, of current law and even of the Administration's previous position.
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