Guest guest Posted December 6, 2003 Report Share Posted December 6, 2003 > December 5, 2003 | <archive.htm>Daily Mislead Archive > > Bush Backtracking on Cleaner Air > > > Tuesday, the Bush administration announced its revisions to mercury > emission rules emissions, one day before President Bush asserted that " we > all share duties of stewardship. " 1 The administration's alternative, a > cap-and-trade system that was requested by the industry, would allow power > plants to buy and sell the right to emit mercury. > > While this system already exists with sulfur dioxide, the environmental > community points out that pregnant women and young children are vulnerable > to mercury exposure, leading to developmental problems. About one out of > every 12 women (4.9 million) of childbearing age has unusually elevated > levels of mercury, according to the Centers for Disease Control and > Prevention in Atlanta. " 2 > > President Bush nominated Mike Leavitt to head the Environmental Protection > Agency while noting that it was important to be " vigilant in protecting the > air and soil and waters around us. " 3 Newly installed, on the same day that > he gave his introductory address to EPA employees, Leavitt said of the > changes, " Frankly, we're just not satisfied with the level of reduction you > get from the mercury MACT, so we're making the dual proposal. " 4 > > But a December 2001 Power Point presentation that then EPA administrator > Christie Whitman indicated that the rules being rejected would have reduced > emissions from the current 48 tons per year to 5 tons per year by 2007. The > new proposal Leavitt's backing, however, calls for a reduction to 34 tons > by 20105, and would install regulations " three times less stringent and > would take 10 years longer to achieve than reductions critics say are > required under the Clean Air Act. " 6 > > Leavitt said of the new mercury standards, " If you care about clean air, > then what is there not to like? " 7 Representatives of industry seem to > agree, saying that the new rules will " work a lot better. " 8 One lawyer > representing coal-fired plants suggested, " The environmental community has > consistently overstated the health case for regulating mercury. " 9 But his > assertion is contradicted by the EPA's own website, which says, > " Methylmercury is highly toxic. " 10 More than 80 percent of states have some > kind of warnings on consuming fish because of mercury. > > Continuing the administration's habit of releasing potentially > controversial environmental rules on the eve of holidays, the document was > released the day before Thanksgiving.11 > > Sources: > * <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/12/20031203-4.html>Bill > Signing Ceremony, 12/3/03. > * > " <http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/politics/7398157.htm ?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp>Bush > administration weighs weaker rules on mercury pollution, " Knight-Ridder, > 12/02/03. > * > <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/08/20030811-2.html>Nomination > of Gov. Leavitt as Administrator of EPA, 8/11/03. > * " White House, EPA Move To Ease Mercury Rules, " Washington Post, > 12/03/03, p. A01. > * > " <http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/politics/7398157.htm ?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp>Bush > administration weighs weaker rules on mercury pollution, " Knight-Ridder, > 12/02/03. > * > " <http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=MERCURY-12-02-03 & cat=WW>EPA > mercury limits wouldn't meet Clean Air standards, " Scripps Howard News > Service, 12/2/03. > * " <http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Dec/12052003/nation_w/nation_w.asp>EPA > proposes new rules to combat smog, soot, " Salt Lake Tribune, 12/5/03. > * > " <http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=MERCURY-12-02-03 & cat=WW>EPA > mercury limits wouldn't meet Clean Air standards, " Scripps Howard News > Service, 12/2/03. > * > " <http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/politics/7398157.htm ?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp>Bush > administration weighs weaker rules on mercury pollution, " Knight-Ridder, > 12/02/03. > * " <http://www.epa.gov/mercury/information1.htm>Frequent Questions > about Mercury, " EPA. > * " White House, EPA Move To Ease Mercury Rules, " Washington Post, > 12/03/03, p. A01. > http://www.misleader.org/daily_mislead/Read.asp?fn=df12052003.html > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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