We can make a major inroad in the fight against mercury and other toxic pollution from coal plants. EPA has proposed strong rules for Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.
Today, Moms from across the country are speaking at an EPA hearing on these important standards. Join us in support of this strong rule by signing our petition.
We can do this because we have already done it! For more than a decade, Moms Clean Air Force has been working to eliminate pollution of all sorts, including mercury and other toxic pollutants from coal plants. Mercury is poison, especially for fetal brains, babies, and children.
Our advocacy has worked! We’ve seen mercury levels in fish drop precipitously in the last decade. That’s due to a combination of stronger standards and improvements in pollution control technology.
But we need even stronger standards that close a dangerous loophole in the current standards, the “Lignite Loophole.” Coal plants that burn a type of coal called lignite are allowed to emit much more toxic pollution than other power plants. Why? It makes no sense.
People who live near all types of coal-fired power plants are at most risk from mercury. The highest mercury-polluting coal plants are concentrated in Texas and North Dakota. Other large polluters are in Appalachia and the Midwest.
But mercury travels through the environment and is found everywhere. We are all at risk, especially babies and children.
That’s why we need you to contact EPA today and raise your voice in support of strong Mercury and Air Toxics Standards that close the Lignite Loophole.
The progress we’ve seen in the last decade is a direct result of the strength of Moms members raising their voices. When we call, you have answered! Let’s get this done as we continue our work toward a world that is safer for our children.
Please read our resources to learn more:
- Fact Sheet: Mercury 101 (2022)
- Map of worst-polluting coal plants (EDF, 2022)
- Overview: The Health Benefits of Mercury Standards Are Much Larger Than Estimated (2019)
- Illustrative Fact Sheet: How Mercury Poisoning Works (2018); click here to view in Spanish (Cómo Actúa el Envenenamiento por Mercurio)