{"id":3170,"date":"2011-12-21T16:23:04","date_gmt":"2011-12-21T21:23:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/?p=3170"},"modified":"2011-12-21T16:23:04","modified_gmt":"2011-12-21T21:23:04","slug":"new-mercury-and-air-toxics-standards-will-protect-children-and-save-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/2011\/12\/21\/new-mercury-and-air-toxics-standards-will-protect-children-and-save-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"New Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Will Protect Children and Save Lives"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is one of the best weeks I\u2019ve had in a long time.<\/p>\n

Right on the heels of today\u2019s landmark court decision<\/a> upholding European laws to reduce airplane pollution, we got another historic moment<\/a> for the environment and public health.<\/p>\n

Today, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson unveiled the new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards<\/a>, which will place our country\u2019s first-ever national limits on mercury and other toxic air pollution from coal- and oil-fired power plants.<\/p>\n

Every decade or so, the United States takes a giant step forward on the road to cleaner, healthier air. Getting the lead out of gasoline was one. Reducing acid rain was another.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards<\/a>, 21 years in the making, are a new giant step forward.<\/p>\n

Power plants are responsible for half of all manmade mercury emissions, as well as 75 percent of acid gases, and 60 percent of arsenic.<\/p>\n

Mercury exposure can cause brain damage in infants, and can affect children\u2019s ability to walk, talk, read and learn. Experts estimate that hundreds of thousands of babies are born each year with potentially unsafe levels of mercury in their blood.<\/p>\n

Many of the other toxic pollutants also controlled by the new rules — such as chromium, arsenic, dioxin and acid gases — are known or probable carcinogens and can attack the brain, lungs, liver, and kidneys.<\/p>\n

Cost-effective and tested technology solutions are available to reduce mercury pollution and other toxic air contaminants from power plants by more than 90 percent.\u00a0Many states have already led the way in adopting policies to control mercury emissions, helping to drive investment in technology solutions, but this is the first time we\u2019ll have a national standard.<\/p>\n

According to EPA, the new rules will<\/a>:<\/p>\n