The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed new, stricter rules for harmful pollutants, including mercury, from coal-fired power plants.
The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to slash mercury pollution and harmful particulate matter from coal-fired power plant emissions, including from lignite coal plants, by up to 70%. If finalized, it would be the strongest update to the mercury standards since 2012.
It is also proposing to improve pollution monitoring at these plants by “requiring continuous emission monitoring systems” that would give the EPA and surrounding communities real-time data on what’s escaping from nearby power plants.
Mercury is a neurotoxin that has a wide range of health impacts, but notably can impact brain development in babies and children. At high levels, mercury exposure “can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system of people of all ages,” the EPA noted in its announcement.
The new rule would significantly benefit the public health for communities around these kinds of power plants, according to the EPA. It would also have the effect of requiring plants to cut down on planet-warming pollution that comes from burning coal to generate electricity.
The EPA said that the new rule would also reduce nickel, arsenic and lead pollution. Together, the pollutants can cause “significant health impacts including fatal heart attacks, cancer and developmental delays in children.”
“America is leading the way in innovation, and our work to protect public health is no different,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a statement. “By leveraging proven, emissions-reduction measures available at reasonable costs and encouraging new, advanced control technologies, we can reduce hazardous pollution from coal-fired power plants, protecting our planet and improving public health for…
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