E.P.A., Tweaking Its Math, Weakens Controls on Mercury

[Tennesseer]

E.P.A., Tweaking Its Math, Weakens Controls on Mercury
The agency is changing the way it calculates the benefits of mercury controls, a move that would effectively loosen the rules on other toxic pollutants

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Thursday weakened regulations on the release of mercury and other toxic metals from oil and coal-fired power plants, another step toward rolling back health protections in the middle of a pandemic.

The new Environmental Protection Agency rule does not eliminate restrictions on the release of mercury, a heavy metal linked to brain damage. Instead, it creates a new method of calculating the costs and benefits of curbing mercury pollution that environmental lawyers said would fundamentally undermine the legal underpinnings of controls on mercury and many other pollutants.

By reducing the positive health effects of regulations on paper and raising their economic costs, the new method could be used to justify loosening restrictions on any pollutant that the fossil fuel industry has deemed too costly to control.

“That is the big unstated goal,” said David Konisky, a professor of public and environmental affairs at Indiana University. “This is less about mercury than about potentially constraining or handcuffing future efforts by the E.P.A. to regulate air pollution.”

The proposed change is the latest in the Trump administration’s long-running effort to roll back environmental regulations and reduce regulatory burdens, particularly on the coal, oil and gas industries. Over the past three years the administration has weakened rules to cut planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, restrict coal companies from dumping debris in streams and claimed falsely that that President Trump has revived the dying coal industry.

Over the past few weeks as the nation struggled with the coronavirus, the administration has also rushed to loosen curbs on automobile tailpipe emissions, opted not to strengthen a regulation on industrial soot emissions and moved to drop the threat of punishment to companies that kill birds “incidentally.”

Complete article here: E.P.A. Weakens Controls on Mercury

[NastyWoman]

Is it November yet? Is it November yet? Is it November yet?

I feel like I am 10 yo and we are on this endless road trip through the middle of nowhere with nothing to look at and my car sickness has hit full force

[Tiny]

Good thing wealthy people don't have to live in, live down stream, or down wind of  such undesireable places where those plants are.    

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

46 is going to have a hell of a mess on his hands. 

[busymom]

Sheesh, do the rich even think about the fact that they're poisoning their own kids, or grandkids?  Obviously, whoever "designed" this plan was NOT the top of their class.