On May 18, the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced they do not support requiring 90 percent mercury reductions from Pennsylvania’s coal-fired power plants. While DEP reported that they planned to move forward with some mercury reductions, environmental and public health groups have been calling for 90 percent cuts to protect our public health—cuts that are achievable using available technologies.

In response, PennEnvironment joined with Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, the Sierra Club and other groups to submit an official response to DEP’s announcement, urging the Department to push for a strong mercury rule for power plants.

Study after study has shown that existing technologies can achieve 90 percent reductions in mercury pollution from power plants. Moreover, there is overwhelming public support to require these reductions: PennEnvironment has collected over 12,000 comments from Pennsylvanians calling on regulators to reduce mercury pollution.

Last fall, PennEnvironment had joined other groups in calling on DEP to require 90 percent mercury reductions from the state’s coal-fired power plants—a reduction that the EPA has said is achievable using existing technologies. Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of this pollutant, which rains down into our waterways and contaminates the fish that then end up on our dinner plates.

DEP will begin a stakeholder process this fall, bringing together interested parties to craft a mercury rule. PennEnvironment will push for the strongest proposal by advocating and building vocal public support.

Timeline for a state mercury rule

8/9/2004—Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future files a petition with the state’s Environmental Quality Board urging state officials to require 90 percent mercury cuts from PA’s coal-fired power plants. PennEnvironment joins with eight other organizations as co-petitioners.

10/19/2004—EQB votes to accept petition; DEP begins reviewing options for reducing mercury pollution from Pennsylvania’s power plants.

3/15/2005—White House announces rollback of federal mercury protections. This national rollback will lead to more mercury pollution being emitted across the country and in Pennsylvania, as compared to faithful enforcement
of the Clean Air Act.

5/18/2005—State officials respond to the environmental groups’ petition, announcing that they will move forward with a rule, but refuse to commit to 90 percent mercury reductions from PA’s coal-fired power plants.

6/16/2005—PennEnvironment joins co-petitioners in filing a response to state officials, urging them to create a strong rule for implementing technologies that will achieve 90 percent mercury reductions from all of the state’s coal-fired power plants.

8/16/05—Environmental Quality Board rebuts opposition from some legislators by voting again for the process to move forward. DEP again says it won’t push for 90 percent reductions.

Fall 2005-2007—Stakeholders will craft initial proposal, followed by six to eighteen months of public comment and review by state officials.

MEMBER ACTION:
Sign up for e-mail issue alerts