Clean Air News

Pending EPA Decision May Let Largest Toxic Mercury Polluters Off The Hook

As the new home of NCPIRG's environmental work, Environment North Carolina can be contacted with any questions regarding this news release. 

RALEIGH—Today, the NC Public Interest Research Group (NCPIRG), the Clean Air Task Force, and National Environmental Trust released a new report, "Toxic Neighbors." The study shows that power plants in North Carolina emitted more than 78 million pounds of toxic chemicals—including 2,956 pounds of toxic mercury—into the air in 2001, more than electric utilities in any other state. The EPA will decide how and whether to regulate toxic mercury pollution by December 15.

"Toxic pollution from power plants is dangerous, widespread, and largely preventable," said Elizabeth Ouzts, director of NCPIRG. "The EPA should require power plants to install the best available pollution controls, which would reduce the hazardous pollution documented in this report by 90 percent."

Mercury pollution is one of the most poisonous forms of air pollution. First emitted into the air, mercury settles in the beds of rivers, lakes, and streams. Fish such as king mackerel, bowfin, and largemouth bass accumulate mercury in their muscle tissue. Pregnant women place their fetuses at risk for brain damage and developmental delays when they consume mercury-contaminated fish. Women of child-bearing age, subsistence fishers, and recreational anglers are also at risk. Eight rivers, lakes and streams in North Carolina are under advisory due to mercury contamination.

According to Toxic Neighbors, the biggest emitters of toxic mercury in North Carolina were the Roxboro-Semora Plant in Person County, which released 680 pounds of mercury in 2001, and the Belews Creek plant in Stokes County, which emitted 480 pounds. These two plants also led the state in overall toxic chemical releases.

"Recent data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that one in 12 women of childbearing age in the U.S.—nearly 5 million women—have levels of mercury in their blood higher than EPA's safe threshold," said Martha Keating of the Clean Air Task Force, a co-author of the report. "This has enormous public health implications for our future generations."

The study is being released as the Bush administration is poised to propose standards for mercury emissions from power plants that fall far short of the requirements of the Clean Air Act and represent a significant weakening of the law. The Clean Air Act states that the EPA must require that utilities install the best performing pollution controls. The study documents that some existing controls on power plants can reduce mercury pollution by 90 percent.

However, an EPA proposal leaked Tuesday indicates that the Bush administration first plans to revoke the treatment of mercury as a hazardous air pollutant. This change means that power plants will no longer be required to install the maximum pollution controls at each and every plant and instead allows some plants to avoid making reductions by buying emissions credits from less-polluting facilities. Second, the Agency subverts its previous determination that under the Clean Air Act mercury could and should be reduced to the maximum extent possible, as much as 90 percent, by 2007, and instead allows five to six more times the mercury to be emitted for at least a decade longer.

"Pregnant mothers and our children are our most vulnerable citizens, and they face the greatest risks from even very small amounts of mercury exposures," said Richard Weisler, a Raleigh physician. "It would be a catastrophic mistake if we fail to require our power companies to use readily available air-cleaning methods to protect our children before they are harmed by mercury exposures."

In North Carolina, the recently-enacted "Clean Smokestacks" legislation requires reductions in soot and smog-forming pollution from North Carolina's power plants beginning in 2007, and is predicted to reduce mercury emissions by as much as 60 percent. However, the law does not require specific reductions in mercury or other toxic chemical releases.

"It's high time for the dirtiest power plants to reduce the threats that toxic pollutants pose to public health and the environment," said Ouzts. "The technology is here. We call on the Bush administration to drop their proposal to weaken current law and issue a rule that will protect public health by reducing power plant mercury emissions by 90 percent."

Toxic Neighbors evaluated the 2001 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data, the nation's database of toxic air, water and land pollution released each year. The data is the most recent TRI data available. The report shows that in addition to leading the nation in overall toxic chemical releases, North Carolina ranked 4th nationwide for emissions of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds.

"Power plants have released these harmful pollutants day in and day out for years," said Keating. "Electric utilities are the most widespread, long-lived industrial generators of toxic releases, not just in North Carolina, but across the entire United States."