Mercury Rising (bush allowing too much mercury pollution)

[Shallah Kali]

http://www.bangornews.com/editorialnews/article.cfm?ID=430567

If the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency needs more evidence that a Bush administration plan to reduce mercury pollution misses the target, it got it this week with its own report on the increasing number of water bodies across the country that are contaminated with the toxic heavy metal. The report reiterates that the agency should move ahead with more stringent mercury emission rules required under the Clean Air Act instead of a cap-and-trade program proposed by the administration.


EPA administrator Michael Leavitt recently put the cap-and-trade program on hold so he can re-evaluate it. His agency's report, which found that the number of water bodies with fish contamination advisories due to high levels of mercury increased almost 10 percent between 2002 and 2003, must be added to the many documents the administrator will review. According to the report, more than 3,000 lakes and rivers were under fish consumption advisories, with 280 new water bodies added last year. In Maine, 19 rivers and lakes have been under such advisories for a decade.

(snip)

Dropping the administration's mercury emissions rule in favor of tougher regulations requiring the installation of maximum achievable control technology (MACT), as required by the Clean Air Act, is a good place to start. MACT would reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent by 2008. The administration's cap-and-trade rules, which would allow companies that cannot reduce their share of mercury emissions to pay for cuts at other facilities, would result in a 70 percent reduction by 2018. Industry testimony before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, as well as that from environmental groups, confirms that the MACT rule can be implemented without undue economic burden.

The evidence is mounting that this approach, which will accomplish the largest reduction in mercury emissions in the shortest period of time, should be adopted.

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Sometimes in my :tinfoilhat: moments I wonder if this is not just to benefit bush's industries buddies but to make American's dumb so people will keep voting for the likes of him.

[StClone]

1. Isn't Mercury good for Bush?

Think about it: the brain addling propensity of Mercury affecting the cognitive ability of the voters will make more fall for him.