Clean Air Act // Current TV

New EPA mercury rules are a bonafide big deal

Wednesday, at long last, the EPA unveiled its new rule covering mercury and other toxic emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants.

Anyone who pays attention to green news will have spent the last two years hearing a torrent of stories about EPA rules and the political fights over them. It can get tedious. After a certain point even my eyes glaze over, and I’m paid to follow this stuff.

But this one is a Big Deal. It’s worth lifting our heads out of the news cycle and taking a moment to appreciate that history is being made. Finally controlling mercury and toxics will be an advance on par with getting lead out of gasoline. It will save save tens of thousands of lives every year and prevent birth defects, learning disabilities, and respiratory diseases. It will make America a more decent, just, and humane place to live.

A couple of background facts to contextualize what the new rule means:

First, remember that the original Clean Air Act “grandfathered” in dozens of existing coal plants back in 1977, on the assumption that they were nearing the end of their lives and would be shut soon anyway. Well, funny story … they never shut down! There are still dozens of coal plants in the U.S. that don’t meet the pollution standards in the original 1970 Clean Air Act, much less the 1990 amendments. These old, filthy jalopies from the early 20th century, mostly along the eastern seaboard and scattered around the Midwest, are responsible for a vastly disproportionate amount of the air pollution generated by the electricity sector in America, including most of the mercury. They have been environmentalists’ bête noire for over 30 years now.

Second, mercury rules get directly at these plants in a way no other rules have. There’s no trading system for mercury like there is for SO2 (the Bush administration tried to set one up, but the court struck it down). There are no short-cuts either. Every plant that’s out of compliance has to install the “maximum available control technology.” There is some flexibility — more than industry admits — but there’s no getting around the fact that this is going to be an expensive rule. It’s going to kick off a huge wave of coal-plant retirements and investments in pollution-control technology. That is, despite what conservatives say, a good thing, since the public-health benefits will be far greater than the costs. Every country on earth is modernizing its electric fleet. Even China’s ahead of us. These crappy old plants are an embarrassment and good riddance to them.

Third, this has been a long time coming. (Nicholas Bianco has some good history here.) An assessment of mercury was part of the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990. EPA stalled and stalled, got sued, and finally did the assessment. Sure enough, as had been known for years, they found mercury is harmful to public health. Then more stalling and more stalling until the Bush administration’s malformed 2004 proposal, which instantly got caught up in (and struck down by) the courts. So when the mercury rule finally goes into effect in 2014, 24 years will have passed since Congress said mercury needs regulating. It’s been a fight for enviros every step of the way.

So anyway, this is an historic day and a real step forward for the forces of civilization. It’s the beginning of the end of one of the last of the old-school, 20th-century air pollution problems. (Polluters and their rented conservatives will try to kick up dust about this, but check out this letter to Congress [PDF] from a group of health scientists, which says “exposure to mercury in any form places a heavy burden on the biochemical machinery within cells of all living organisms.”) Long after everyone has forgotten who “won the morning” in the fight over these rules, or what effect they had on Obama’s electoral chances, the rule’s legacy will live on in a healthier, happier American people.
by David Roberts, cross-posted from Grist

More at the linkWednesday, at long last, the EPA unveiled its new rule covering mercury and other... more

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John Shimkus impostor wages war on science!

I’m concerned that there’s an impostor posing as Congressman John Shimkus in Washington. I don’t know how else to explain the dramatic contradiction between what he tells newspapers back in the district and what he actually does when Congress is in session.

Two articles will illustrate my concern. In January, a paper back in his district interviewed Shimkus about his new role as chairman of the subcommittee on Environment and Economy. He expresses a concern for defending real science.

“I’ll mostly deal with the EPA, making sure that what they claim is real science actually is real science, and that their restrictions are focused on the health and welfare of the public, not just a political agenda,” Shimkus said.

That sounds good! We need environmental policy based on science and public health and not written by those with just a political agenda.

But then something odd happened when Shimkus’ committee held hearings in Washington about the Clean Air Act.

“Do you find it strange that at this hearing of this importance we have no scientists?” asked Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), the subcommittee’s ranking member.

Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) swept aside such critiques, telling ClimateWire, “This is about jobs. This isn’t about science. The science committee may turn it into that and get into these issues, but we want to address how this affects jobs.”

EPA administrator Jackson, held her ground, pointing out, “Chairman Upton’s bill would, in its own words, ‘repeal’ the scientific finding regarding greenhouse gas emissions.”

Back in his district Shimkus said he would focus on science and public health. But the impostor Shimkus in Washington doesn’t include real scientists in the discussion. Not only that, but many of those chosen to testify in Shimkus’ committee represent organizations who place their company profits and political agenda ahead of public health concerns.

Shimkus then suggested that EPA might regulate plumes of dust behind tractors. No one has ever proposed anything remotely like that so its something he just pulled out of his ass.

Also, the real John Shimkus should know that most of the new energy jobs being created back in Illinois are from wind farm construction and energy efficiency projects, not coal mines.

Shimkus often speaks about his Christian faith, so I know he wouldn’t tell his constituents he was going to do one thing and then do the exact opposite. That would be hypocrisy. Or a lie. The only logical explanation is that the man in Washington is an impostor. Someone please look into it!I’m concerned that there’s an impostor posing as Congressman John Shimkus... more

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GOP aims to slash $1.6 billion in EPA funding

House Republicans on the appropriations committee released a plan Thursday that would eliminate $1.6 billion from the Environmental Protection Agency's budget.

The news, as first noted by Kate Sheppard of Mother Jones, is part of a broader GOP assault on the EPA as the Obama administration seeks to use the agency to control greenhouse gas emissions.

The EPA, created by Republican President Richard Nixon in 1970, is tasked with enforcing standards for environmental laws in tandem and state and local governments. It also researches and monitors potential environmental health hazards.

In President Barack Obama's first two years, Republicans successfully blocked Democrats' attempts at passing comprehensive energy and climate change reform through Congress. As a result, the administration decided to use the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Since then, Republicans have increasingly called for eliminating or reducing the role of the EPA.

GOP lawmakers have described EPA regulations as "job killing."

As part of the effort, House Republicans this month unveiled legislation that would forbid the EPA from controlling carbon emissions. Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), a fierce climate-change denier, has drafted a similar plan in the Senate.

EPA administrator Lisa Jackson decried the proposals, saying it would "eliminate portions of the Clean Air Act, the landmark law that all American children and adults rely on to protect them from harmful air pollution."

"This bill appears to be part of a broader effort in this Congress to delay, weaken or eliminate Clean Air Act protections of the American public," she said in a committee hearing.

The efforts reflect a concerted GOP effort to combat the notion of human-caused climate change.

Progressives and environmentalists fret that with Republicans making it effectively impossible to limit greenhouse gases through the legislative process, the EPA may be the last best chance for Washington to try and combat global warming.

An overwhelming majority of climate scientists say global climate change is being significantly exacerbated by the burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal and will have disastrous environmental impacts across the world.House Republicans on the appropriations committee released a plan Thursday that would... more

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On first day of new Congress, Koch’s operatives met with GOP chairman planning to gut the Clean Air Act

In January, ThinkProgress interviewed billionaire pollutocrat David Koch about his views on climate science, his Tea Party movement, and his political plans for the future. On the day of our interview, we also discovered that he planned to hold a party for the new Republicans he helped elect.

As we have documented, Koch not only financed the rise of the anti-Obama Tea Party, he has also helped guide the movement to support the narrow business priorities of his conglomerate Koch Industries: Koch funds rallies for young children that attack the EPA, Koch’s front groups spread doubt about climate change, and Koch’s Americans for Prosperity hands out Tea Party talking points attacking clean energy. Building on this research, the Los Angeles Times reported this weekend about the central influence of Koch in the new GOP Congress.

According to the Times, just before David Koch spoke to ThinkProgress following House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) swearing in ceremony, he had met with Boehner in the Speaker’s office. Koch’s top political deputy, former Jack Abramoff operative Tim Phillips, met with the new Energy and Commerce Committee chair Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) that day as well:

When the 85 freshman GOP lawmakers marched into the Capitol on Jan. 5 as part of the new Republican House majority, David Koch was there too. The 70-year-old had an appointment with a staff member of the new speaker, Rep. John A. Boehner (R-Ohio). At the same time, the head of Americans for Prosperity, Tim Phillips, had an appointment with Upton. They used the opportunity to introduce themselves to some of the new legislators and invited them to a welcome party at the Capitol Hill Club, a favorite wine-and-cheese venue for Republican power players in Washington.

The Times also reported a fact that most of the traditional media has ignored: in addition to direct donations to candidates, Koch groups spent tens of millions in largely undisclosed money hosting rallies and running “issue ads” in support of climate science-denying GOP candidates in 2010.

As the Wonk Room’s Brad Johnson has detailed, the Republican push to eviscerate the EPA and the Clean Air Act meshes perfectly with the goals of Koch Industries. Koch is a major polluter, and opposes EPA regulations on carbon emissions and other hazardous air pollutants.

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Senate rejects effort to block EPA greenhouse gas rules

Senate Democrats rejected a GOP-led effort Thursday to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of authority to regulate greenhouse gases.

Sen. Lisa Murkowsk, R-Alaska, backs a proposal to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions.
CAPTIONBy Mark Wilson, Getty ImagesThe Senate voted 53-47 against a motion to proceed to a resolution by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, that would bar the EPA from issuing such climate-changing regulations under the Clean Air Act.

"We need to be growing our economy, not paralyzing it," Murkowski said on the Senate floor, warning that regulations could kill jobs and increase costs, reportsThe Hill.

Her resolution, supported by business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association, also won the backing of six Democrats: Indiana's Evan Bayh, Louisiana's Mary Landrieu, Arkansas' Blanche Lambert Lincoln and Mark Pryor, Nebraska's Ben Nelson and West Virginia's Jay Rockefeller.

The White House threatened to veto the measure and environmental groups such as the Wilderness Society opposed it. They argue that the EPA has the power to regulate harmful carbon emissions.

Speaking for them was Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who's in a tough re-election battle with GOP candidate and former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. A recent Fiorina ad belittled Boxer's concern for climate change by calling it "the weather."

"Big oil backs the Murkowski resolution. So whose side are we on?" said Boxer as she displayed photos of birds covered with oil leaking from the massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico, according to The Hill. Boxer chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

The American Public Health Association applauded the Senate's vote, saying current levels of the six key greenhouse gases cited by EPA pose significant public health threats, including increased likelihood of more frequent and intense heat waves and degraded air quality.

"Climate change is as much an environmental issue as it is a leading public health concern," said the group's executie Georges C. Benjamin, in a statement.

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