Leahy, Snowe
Urge EPA To Approve Northeast Mercury Plan
And Enhance
National Mercury Pollution Standards
October 25, 2007
WASHINGTON (Thursday, Oct. 25) -- U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe
(R-Maine) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Thursday began circulating a
letter to their fellow Northeast Senate Colleagues urging
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson to
approve the Northeast Regional Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load
cleanup plan. As part of the plan, the region requires enhanced
federal guidelines for mercury pollution coming into the Northeast
from other parts of the country.
In recent years, the Northeastern states of Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York have
drastically reduced mercury pollution from in-state power plants.
Yet the region fails to meet current EPA guidelines because of the
mercury pollution brought in from neighboring states. The Snowe-Leahy
letter follows a similar plea made yesterday by the governors of the
Northeastern states.
“The Northeastern
states, including Maine, continue to be at end of the tailpipe of
mercury- spewing coal-fired power plants in the Midwest,” said Snowe.
“Maine has led the way in reducing mercury emissions within the
state, but we must see strong action on the part of the EPA to
reduce mercury emissions that enter our state from sources in other
states. The petition from the region clearly identifies that our
State simply can not do anything more. The lax approach by EPA in
regards to our national problem has failed to protect the health of
our children, Maine’s natural resources and the economies that
depend on them.”
“Mercury kills and injures, and that’s a scientific fact,” Leahy
said. “Unfortunately the Administration’s approach to the mercury
in our environment has been to allow industry insiders to write a
‘do-nothing’ national policy. Our region has long led the way in
curbing mercury pollution, which is among the least-controlled and
most dangerous toxins threatening pregnant women and children in
America today. Because mercury pollution knows no borders, we need
a sensible national approach to protect Vermonters, Mainers and all
Americans.”
During the 109th Congress, Senators Leahy and Snowe introduced the
Mercury Emission Act of 2005, which would have restricted mercury
emissions throughout the country and set a cap of 5 tons by 2009.
Under the Bush proposal there would be a limit of 38 tons by 2010.
In further action, as part of the Congressional Review Act, Senators
attempted to pass a resolution expressing disapproval of the EPA
mercury rule. On September 13, 2005, the Senate voted for the
resolution S.J.Res. 20, which failed in a vote of 47-51.
Text of the Letter:
Stephen Johnson
Administrator
Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 3426
Washington, DC
Dear Administrator Johnson,
We are writing to request that you expeditiously approve the
petition for the Northeast Regional Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load
(TMDL).
The Northeast states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York have
drastically reduced mercury pollution in recent years. For example,
between 1998 and 2002 state initiatives to reduce mercury pollution
from municipal waste combustors and medical waste incinerators
prevented 8,000 pounds of mercury pollution. Indeed, nearly all
in-region sources of mercury have been eliminated in the Northeast.
While our State’s efforts are laudable and have produced tangible
results, our federal standards have been virtually stagnant and
maintained the status quo. Mercury is atmospherically deposited and
it is becoming increasingly evident that for our states to comply
with Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act strong federal action
that encompasses all of the States is essential.
The National Academy of Sciences has confirmed scientific research
demonstrating that maternal consumption of unsafe levels of mercury
in fish can cause serious neurodevelopmental harm resulting in
children that suffer from learning disabilities, poor motor
function, mental retardation, seizure disorders and cerebral palsy.
This clearly impacts the health of our region, as well our economic
wellbeing. Currently, six of the seven Northeast states have
statewide freshwater fish consumption advisories directly as a
result of mercury pollution. Currently 10,000 bodies of water as
well as 46,000 miles of rivers in the Northeast are listed as
impaired for fish consumption due to mercury pollution.
On October 24th, the Northeast States submitted the
Northeast Regional TMDL, which states, “The Northeast region’s
ability to achieve the calculated TMDL allocations is dependent on
the adoption and effective implementation of national and
international programs to achieve necessary reductions in mercury
emissions.” As you know, mercury pollution originates from two
major sources: wastewater discharge and atmospheric deposition. The
Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR) insufficiently reduces emissions
through atmospheric deposition and amounts to only 70 percent
reduction by 2018. The CAMR will not allow our states to move
forward with this TMDL. We therefore urge you to approve the
Northeast Regional Mercury TMDL and again ask you to strongly
consider reevaluating the CAMR and promulgate national rules
consistent with the region’s TMDL.
Thank you for your serious consideration of our request, and we look
forward to hearing your response at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
OLYMPIA J. SNOWE
PATRICK J. LEAHY
United States
Senator
United States Senator
