Contact: Sasha Tenenbaum, stenenbaum@momscleanairforce.org, (917) 887-0146
Washington, DC—Today, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan announced the restoration of the legal basis for the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), the national pollution standards that regulate mercury and other hazardous air pollutants emitted by coal- and oil-fired power plants. The Trump administration undermined the mercury standards in 2020, withdrawing the legal justification for the rule, known as the “appropriate and necessary finding.” In response to the announcement, Elizabeth Bechard, Senior Policy Analyst for Moms Clean Air Force, released the following statement:
“Moms commend EPA for the important restoration of the legal basis for the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS). But we also call for a new round of stronger protections—as science tells us no amount of mercury is safe.
“Mercury is a powerful neurotoxin that affects developing fetal brain architecture. The mercury standards also limit the release of other toxic air pollutants from power plants. These include nasty stuff like arsenic, lead, dioxin, and acid gases, as well as cancer-causing nickel, chromium, and selenium. All are linked to respiratory illnesses, premature death, different types of cancer, and other dangers. Those mean high health care costs too. No parent wants to pack toxic tuna sandwiches into their children’s lunch boxes.
“Mercury pollution from coal-fired power plant emissions enters the air and then falls into rivers and lakes, where it converts to methylmercury and bioaccumulates in fish. When pregnant women eat mercury-tainted fish, mercury can cross the blood-brain and placental barriers. This can damage the delicate infrastructure of fetal and infant brains, leading to lasting health impacts, like impaired motor function, learning difficulties, and behavioral problems. Exposure to mercury is linked to a constellation of other health harms, from brain damage to heart damage. Because communities of color and low-income communities bear the heaviest burden of air pollution, reducing mercury and air toxics pollution is an environmental justice priority.
“The health impacts of mercury are frightening, but the good news is that our country’s mercury regulations have been working. Since MATS was implemented, mercury emissions from the power sector are down 86%, acid gas hazardous air pollutants have been cut by 96%, and non-mercury metal hazardous air pollutants have been reduced by 81%. By EPA’s own estimates, these improvements have prevented 11,000 premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks, and 130,000 asthma attacks each year since 2016. Between 2000 and 2018, the number of children born in the US who had been exposed to unhealthy levels of mercury during their mothers’ pregnancies decreased by half.
“Strong mercury standards mean healthier babies, families, and communities—and it is both highly appropriate and necessary to maintain the mercury standards our babies, families, and communities deserve.
“Moms Clean Air Force members have fought for strong protections against mercury and air toxics for over a decade. We know there is no safe level of mercury consumption. We thank EPA for this important step in protecting our families and communities, and we encourage further strengthening of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards in the future.”
Resources:
- Fact Sheet: Mercury 101 (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”)