As we count our blessings this holiday season, Sierra Club Green Home is rejoicing in the Mercury and Air Toxic National Standards issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this year. This is one of the most important updates in the Clean Air Act’s 40-year history, as it addresses gaps in previous legislation. (Photo by Rennett Stowe, Flickr)
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By Janice Zaltman
As the new year approaches, Sierra Club Green Home is celebrating the first national standards for mercury and toxic air pollution, which were issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week. This is one of the most important updates in the Clean Air Act’s 40-year history of preventing pollution, as it addresses gaps in previous legislation.
These standards put pollution controls on the 40 percent of coal-burning plants that are currently running without regulation. Coal-burning power plants are the largest source of dangerous emissions which poison our air and water, including mercury, arsenic, acid gas, nickel, selenium, online casino and cyanide.
Naturally, the public health benefits of the Mercury and Air Toxic National Standards will be enormous. The EPA estimates that the new standards will prevent as many as 4,700 heart attacks each year, as well as over 130,000 cases of childhood asthma and 6,500 cases of acute bronchitis among children. It also can prevent as many as 11,000 premature deaths.
Another benefit from the Mercury and Air Toxic National Standard is new jobs. The EPA estimates that it will create approximately 46,000 short-term construction jobs and 8,000 long-term utility jobs. The economic and health benefits are projected to be $90 billion annually. Usually it takes three years before the EPA can ensure compliance with new regulations, but some of the economic benefits may appear sooner than that.
Environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club, helped propel this regulation forward by submitting nearly a thousand public comments in its favor.
Here’s to cleaner air and water, Sierra Club Green Home can toast to that!
For related story:
EPA to Ban Breathing?
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