The rules would lower emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants that can harm brain development of young children and contribute to heart attacks and other health problems in adults.
which have delivered a 90% reduction in mercury emissions from power plants since they were adopted in 2012 under President Barack Obama, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said.
"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 all," Regan said in a statement.The proposed rule is expected to become final next year,"ensuring historic protections for communities across the nation, especially for our children and our vulnerable populations," Regan said.
Coal-fired power plants are the largest single man-made source of mercury pollutants, which enter the food chain through fish and other items that people consume. Mercury can affect the nervous system and kidneys; the World Health Organization says fetuses are especially vulnerable to birth defects via exposure in a mother's womb.
"There is no safe level of mercury exposure, and while we have made significant progress advancing clean energy, coal-fired power plants remain one of the largest sources of mercury pollution,'' said Holly Bender, senior director of energy campaigns for the Sierra Club. "It's alarming to think that toxic pollutants from coal plants can build up in places like Lake Michigan,'' where many Americans camp and swim during the summer,"and where people fish to feed their families,'' Bender said."Our kids deserve to live and play in a healthy, safe environment, and our leaders must do everything in their power to make that a reality.
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