Although the GOP is sure to yell and scream about government overreach and how regulations to keep people and the planet safe will kill jobs, President Biden is moving forward with plans to limit mercury from power plants and move the nation’s electricity supply toward a cleaner energy program. Donald Trump made killing the plant a feature of his braggadocios tweets, crowing that he ended requirements for businesses to scale back their impact on the environment while climate change remains a looming threat, but someone who has a better grasp of science is now at the helm.
Biden begins crackdown on power plant pollution with reversal of Trump stance on mercury https://t.co/NYEo3TPsqG
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 31, 2022
A policy of Trump’s that declared the EPA unauthorized to pass requirements to limit mercury from power plant emissions was thrown out on Monday, allowing a move to curb greenhouse gas emissions and a number of other forms of pollution to go forward. President Biden made efforts toward addressing climate change a feature of his 2020 presidential campaign.
According to The Washington Post:
‘Biden has pledged to make the U.S. electricity sector carbon-neutral by 2035, but his deputies may have to rely on their existing federal authority now that Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) has blocked the president’s plan to provide utilities with incentives to transition faster to clean energy. And in late February, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case brought by West Virginia that may undercut EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants in the future.’
Breaking News: The White House plans to resume enforcing mercury limits for coal-burning plants. The toxin is linked to developmental damage in children. https://t.co/oqzJ9GX5Ie
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 31, 2022
These measures would not only protect the planet but would save the lives of those living on it. Mercury, when released into the air by power plants, can settle in water and be ingested by fish. Adults who then consume that fish can develop heart disease and younger children can develop brain damage. EPA Administrator Michael Regan, in a statement released to the press, said that:
‘Sound science makes it clear that we need to limit mercury and toxins in the air to protect children and vulnerable communities from dangerous pollution.’
Great to see Biden admin today announce over $1B to implement this policy idea @DanielRaimi @rff, Neelesh Nerukar & I wrote up 2 yrs ago (https://t.co/LNgHIZFtIE) to create jobs & reduce pollution by plugging orphaned oil & gas wells https://t.co/8W0pXzADJX
— Jason Bordoff (@JasonBordoff) January 31, 2022
Current standards are woefully out of date, as EPA officials have noted, particularly considering that Biden has high goals for decarbonization of the power sector. new standards are sure to come.
‘EPA is crafting a new requirement to cut greenhouse gas emissions from existing fossil fuel plants, which would replace the Obama-era Clean Power Plan and which it plans to outline later this year. The Supreme Court blocked that rule from taking effect in 2016, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down Trump’s replacement rule a day before Biden took office.’
The Biden-Harris Administration is advancing environmental justice by:
-Elevating the voices of impacted communities
-Cutting toxic pollution
-Bolstering community resilience
-Strengthening enforcementRead about our whole-of-government approach: https://t.co/TZxvpIzvfe
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 26, 2022
