The mercury hearing in Philadelphia will be on Wednesday, February 25th. Apologies for any confusion.
In a message dated 2/19/2004 1:34:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, BGAndersen writes: > Subj: Opportunity for Philadelphia-area members > Date: 2/19/2004 1:05:11 PM Eastern Standard Time > From: "Peter Schurman, MoveOn.org" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Bruce Andersen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Dear MoveOn member, > > The Environmental Protection Agency has just proposed weakening our safeguards > against mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants. This is alarming -- > mercury is extremely toxic to children. The EPA itself reports that 630,000 infants > are born annually who are at risk for learning disabilities. > > Instead of protecting mothers and children from mercury poisoning, the Bush > administration has chosen once again to do a favor for its friends in the energy > industry. The EPA proposal is so weak that the industry will be allowed to continue > polluting without using state-of-the-art mercury controls. > > Next week, the EPA is holding a public hearing on this issue in Philadelphia. We > need to show up in person at this forum to remind the EPA that their job is to > protect our children from pollution, rather than protecting President Bush�s > campaign contributors. The hearing will be held next WEDNESDAY, February 25 from 8 > AM to 10 PM. > > Can you help? The event will be held at : > > Wyndham Philadelphia at Franklin Plaza > 17th and Race Streets, Philadelphia > > Please arrive at 8 AM if possible; stay as late as you like. > > EPA will listen to comments or questions from any member of the public, so feel free > to step up to the microphone and make yourself heard. We�ve provided some more > background information on the issue below. > > Showing up at the hearing next week - even if it�s just for a few minutes - will > make a big difference. The EPA needs to see first-hand that this issue is important > to all of us. > > Let us know if you're planning to attend the hearing by clicking this link below: > > http://www.moveon.org/merc/pa.html?id=2369-3170608-Yzhm5335wZVCggzQTNR3uA > > You and other MoveOn members are showing that individuals really can have an impact > on the political process. Thanks for your commitment. > > Sincerely, > --Adam, Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Laura, Noah, Peter, Wes, and Zack > The MoveOn.org Team > February 19th, 2004 > > ----- > > The Causes and Dangers of Mercury Pollution > > Mercury is a toxic metal that can cause severe neurological and developmental > problems in unborn fetuses and young children. > > Smokestacks spew mercury pollution into the air, where it rains and snows down > into our waterways, accumulating in fish. People eating contaminated fish are then > exposed to mercury. > > The EPA and forty-three states have now issued advisories warning people, > especially women and children, to avoid or limit eating local fish because of > mercury. This table shows the advisories that are in effect where you live. > > http://www.moveon.org/mercury/table.pdf > > Even with these warnings, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention estimate > that 1 out of 12 U.S. women of childbearing age have unsafe levels of mercury in > their blood due to fish consumption. > > The best way to protect women and children from mercury is to eliminate it from > its largest source: power plants. But the electric and coal industries are pressing > hard to avoid limiting their mercury emissions, and the Bush Administration has now > proposed to weaken those standards. > > > The Bush Administration Weakens Mercury Pollution Standards > > In December, EPA announced a mercury plan that will expose our children to far > more mercury, for far longer, than what the agency has said is achievable and > cost-effective. The proposal also is less stringent than was recommended by the > majority of EPA�s own panel of experts who spent more than two years working on this > problem. > > It is appropriate and necessary to regulate mercury emissions from power plants > > EPA now proposes to regulate mercury from utility companies as if it were a > non-hazardous pollutant, demanding only a 30 percent emission reduction and allowing > some sources to avoid controls entirely by buying pollution "credits." > > When plants are not forced to curb pollution but can buy pollution credits, it > increases the chances that there will be communities where mercury pollution is more > prevalent. > > The proposal also would give polluters at least 15 years to make the reductions > rather than the three years required by law. > > > The Bottom Line: > > The Bush administration must protect children�s health by reducing power plant > mercury emissions by 90 percent by 2008 and ensuring that these reductions occur at > each and every power plant. The Clean Air Act requires these reductions. > > __________ > This is a message from MoveOn.org. To unsubscribe yourself from this > list, please visit our subscription management page at: > http://www.moveon.org/subscrip/i.html?id=2369-3170608-Yzhm53 > 35wZVCggzQTNR3uA ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
