Mercury Makes the News
Today has been a banner day for those who support the new proposed mercury protections from the Environmental Protection Agency, as news outlet OpEd pages are lighting up with pieces all about this proposed mercury safeguard.
The Philadelphia Inquirer: "The changes would prove especially beneficial to the Delaware Valley and South Jersey, which are downwind from some of the worst-polluting plants in the nation. Jackson said the new rules would prevent thousands of cases of asthma, heart attacks, and premature deaths."
The power industry fought the restrictions tooth and nail, arguing that the science wasn't sound (a familiar tactic of polluters these days) and that installing pollution controls would prove costly to consumers and the U.S. economy.
But while the EPA estimates that those measures may cost the industry $10 billion a year, that price tag pales when compared to the potential savings in reduced medical expenses and other health-related benefits of about $100 billion annually.
The NY Times: "It is unquestionably a victory for the public: when fully effective, the rule could save as many as 17,000 lives a year."
The faith community is getting in on the announcement as well, as we recently saw both the Evangelical Environmental Network and GreenFaith bring up the dangers of mercury and the importance of keeping Americans safe from it.
