Feds Nip State Efforts to Slash Mercury

[Robbien]

Source: AP

<snip>

"There was an extraordinary degree of aggressiveness by EPA in pressing states to abandon a more protective mercury program. EPA devoted enormous effort to preventing states from doing more," said Vickie Patton, a lawyer for Environmental Defense. The group obtained the documents through a Freedom of Information Act filing.

The push to rein in uncooperative states continued until the eve of the Feb. 8 appeals court decision that struck down the EPA's program. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the agency did not adequately address the health impact of its plan.

The administration was poised to take even tougher measures against maverick states. A day before the ruling, the White House Office of Management and Budget approved a draft regulation to impose a "federal implementation plan" for mercury reduction in states whose mercury control measures did not meet EPA approval.

It would have required power plants to comply with the national cap-and-trade provisions, even it that meant ignoring state restrictions.

Both the emissions trading approach and any further requirement on states have been put on hold after the court ruling, EPA spokesman Jonathan Shradar. He denied that the agency was pressuring states.



Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jkKOQ_A1yR4HewQNx_7OJVd9oAnQD8URICDG0

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This is a fairly long article. Very much worth a read for those interested in the battles most of the states are fighting with the EPA on mercury. States are fully aware the Fed plan leaves most manufacturing plants unregulated in their emissions. The pressure on States coming out of the WH was immense.

[Muttocracy]

1. interesting article - thanks! and it's in a lot of "red" states in particular nt

[drm604]

2. EPA

Emissions Protection Agency. :mad:

[Trajan]

3. Funny how GOP efforts to scream 'State's Rights' ...

Were all complete bullshit .....

Fact is: They HATE 'Local Control', as long as they are the oligarchs of America ....

[salin]

4. Proving once again- that this admin (and the GOP) are more interested

in protecting the massive profits of corps over the safety and health of its citizens.

[modrepub]

5. More insidious than this

If there was anyone who actually understood the Clean Air Act (CAA) it would be blatantly obvious Bush and his cronies disobeyed the whole intent of the act! Mercury should be handled under the toxics section of the CAA which requires companies to control these emissions to the maximum extent possible. The fed Mercury rule was designed under the criteria pollutant sections of the CAA (think SO2, CO, NO2, Ozone) which allow for national caps and trading programs (market-based BS that are freely manipulated by corporations).