In December 2011, President Obama was proud to announce that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had finalized the first-ever national standards to reduce mercury, arsenic, and other toxic air pollution from power plants. It was a watershed moment in the Administration’s ongoing efforts to protect the health of American families and the environment, through sensible and achievable standards that rely on technologies already deployed by industry.
The public health benefits associated with the Administration’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) are enormous. By reducing emissions of toxic pollutants that lead to neurological damage, cancer, respiratory illnesses, and other serious health issues, these standards will benefit millions of people across the country. In fact, the total health and economic benefits to society could reach $90 billion each year.
In spite of these benefits – and the long history of bipartisan support to limit toxic air emissions from the nation’s largest polluters – Senator Inhofe is leading the charge to block these critical standards. And here’s what makes the stakes even higher: if these efforts are successful, the EPA could be prevented from ever limiting mercury and other toxic air pollution from power plants in the future – despite the fact that this requirement was initially signed into law in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush.
Rarely does a single vote in Congress have the potential to undermine public health and the environment in such a profound and blatant way. For that reason, it’s important to cut through all of the misinformation.
Here are the facts about the Obama Administration’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards:
Fonte: White House