Maine Attorney General Issues Statement on Mercury Ruling

February 11, 2008 -- “Today the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia struck down Bush Administration regulations that exempted coal and oil fired power plants, including some of this country’s worst polluters, from their obligation to sharply decrease their mercury pollution. This ruling represents a significant victory for both the health of Maine people and our natural environment.

“Mercury can cause lasting nerve and brain damage and is particularly dangerous to pregnant women and small children. It is especially disturbing to me that the EPA, the federal agency responsible for protecting the environment, would actively look for ways to avoid its legal obligation to address this most serious environmental threat.

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“The unanimous decision by the DC Circuit Court means that the EPA is going to have to regulate the emission of toxins in a real and meaningful way, just as Congress required in the Clean Air Act. Once again, the courts have rejected a Bush Administration attempt to put the profits of corporate polluters above the health of the American people.”

Source: Maine Attorney General