Mayors from over 90 cities wrote a letter supporting the EPA’s mercury regulations.
As local elected officials representing big cities and small towns, we want to express our strong support for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recently issued Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for Power Plants (MATS). Mayors are on the front lines of protecting public health and this long overdue safeguard will reap tremendous benefits for our communities.
Mercury pollution, much of it coming from coal-fired power plants, represents a particularly widespread threat to families nationwide. According to your agency’s own analysis, as of 2010, all 50 states have fish consumption advisories in place to warn residents of the potential health effects of eating fish caught from local waters. Of these advisories, 81% were issued in part because of mercury pollution accumulated within the aquatic food chain. …
Clean, healthy air and water are fundamental American rights and we are eager to work with your agency to ensure these historic protections are quickly implemented.
This is maybe the only time you’ll see the mayors of Montgomery, Ala., and Oak Park Heights, Minn., on either side of Michael Bloomberg’s name on a list.
Related: These standards will not significantly impact the reliability of the electrical grid, despite fear that has been mongered by opponents.
