When it comes to mercury pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency's latest move has lawmakers and moms alike saying this rollback is toxic.
What's happening?
In June, the EPA announced it would revert mercury pollution regulations for power plants back to 2012 standards, which removes 2024 amendments that required facilities to cut back on mercury, arsenic, nickel, and other dangerous air pollutants.
The rollback follows a wave of exemptions granted to coal-fired plants earlier this year by President Donald Trump.
As the coincidentally named Virginia Mercury media outlet reported, 73 members of Congress urged the agency to reverse course, warning that the rollback puts children, communities of color, and low-income Americans in direct harm's way.
According to the EPA's own analysis, repealing the updated Mercury and Air Toxics Standards could save polluters $1.2 billion in compliance costs over the next decade, but at the cost of $300 million in lost health benefits.
"Rolling back the MATS rule is a cruel abandonment of the agency's statutory obligations that will endanger children's health, harm communities, and let the worst industrial polluters off the hook," lawmakers wrote in their letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
Why is mercury concerning?
Mercury is a highly dangerous neurotoxin. Even small amounts can cause irreversible brain damage in infants and young children, with links to birth defects, learning disabilities, and developmental delays.
Toxic particles from power plants settle into waterways, where they accumulate in fish, which is a food source for both people and animals.
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These emissions also disproportionately impact communities that live near or downwind of coal-fired plants, which tend to be lower-income or communities of color.
What's being done about mercury?
Congressional leaders have asked the EPA to extend the public comment period from 55 to 75 days and to hold more than one hearing.
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Majorly 😥 Advocacy groups like Moms Clean Air Force are mobilizing concerned parents and communities to speak out, and have launched a petition to urge the EPA not to roll back MATS protections.
Moms Clean Air Force is a nonpartisan, nonprofit group committed to protecting children from air pollution. The group educates the public on pollution risks and empowers families with easy ways to take action.
More broadly, everyday people can help protect public health by supporting clean energy initiatives, modernizing their homes where possible, and urging elected officials to prioritize environmental justice in policymaking.
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