As the new home of MASSPIRG's environmental work, Environment Massachusetts can be contacted regarding this news release.
BOSTON—The Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection today announced new rules for the state's
oldest and dirtiest power plants that will require them to eventually reduce
their emissions of toxic mercury by 95 percent. The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and the EPA recently estimated that 1 out of 6 U.S. women of
childbearing age have unsafe levels of mercury in their blood due to fish consumption.
Massachusetts has issued a statewide health advisory warning people, especially
women and children, to avoid or limit eating locally caught fish because of
mercury. Environmental advocates applauded the new rules as a significant step
to protect public health.
"For the first time,
these rules will require coal-fired power plants in Massachusetts to dramatically
reduce toxic mercury emissions," said Jed Thorp, Energy Campaign Organizer
with Clean Water Action. "Given the health effects of mercury on children
and women of childbearing age, we are happy that the state is moving forward
with rules that will bring us closer to virtual elimination of mercury emissions."
The new mercury pollution
rule is the result of the "Filthy Five" regulations enacted in 2001,
which required that specific rules be set for emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen
oxides, mercury and carbon dioxide from the state's oldest and dirtiest power
plants. The rule announced yesterday would result in an 85% reduction in emissions
by 2008 and an eventual 95% reduction by 2012.
"Mercury has drastic
impacts on our health. Right now we are exposed to dangerous levels of mercury,
partly because of power plant pollution," said Frank Gorke, Energy Advocate
with the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group. "These new rules
are critical for protecting the environment and public health."
Public health advocates
were particularly pleased that a provision allowing all plants to meet the emissions
rules through "off site reductions" - which was included in draft
rules originally proposed last September - was removed from the final rule issued
today.
The new mercury regulations
apply to the state's four coal-burning power plants, which include the Brayton
Point and NRG stations in Somerset, the Salem Harbor station in Salem, and the
Mount Tom station in Holyoke. The new regulations will require deep on-site
reductions for Brayton Point and Salem Harbor, the largest emitters of the four
power plants. The regulations contain a certain level of flexibility for the
smallest emitters - Mt. Tom in Holyoke, and NRG in Somerset - by allowing them
to get credit for early reductions, or reduce an equal amount mercury from other
area sources. The Mt. Tom power plant has already met the 85% reduction target
and would only need to reduce their emissions by one pound to meet the 95% goal.
In comparison, the Brayton Point and Salem Harbor stations combined emit over
160 of the estimated 185 total pounds of mercury emitted annually by Massachusetts
power plants.
"Allowing these facilities
to avoid making real on-site reductions would have been a giveaway to industry,
and a slap in the face to those of us who live near these power plants,"
said Dave Dionne of the Campaign to Clean-Up Brayton Point. "We are happy
that the state is requiring the largest and dirtiest power plants to make real
and deep reductions of this toxic pollution."
"We thank all the Massachusetts
leaders who have listened to the public and made our health a priority,"
said Jane Bright of HealthLink. "The growing number of children with neurological
damage and increasing fish consumption warnings are daily reminders of the damage
mercury causes. Removing this undeniable hazard from our environment and from
our food chain will benefit us all."
"We expect these regulations
to significantly reduce human exposure to mercury, which is well known to cause
neurological damage to highly exposed small children and developing fetuses,"
said Jefferson Dickey, M.D. of Greenfield, a spokesman with Physicians for Social
Responsibility.
The Massachusetts regulations
on power plant mercury pollution come as the U.S. EPA is considering a new national
rule that would only reduce mercury pollution from power plants by 29% by 2007,
and 69% by 2018. Environmental and public health advocates from across the country
have criticized the EPA's proposed rule for being too weak and for ignoring
existing pollution control technology.
Additional
contacts:
Jed Thorp, 617-338-8131
Dave Dionne, 508-674-5194
Jane Bright, 781-631-8104
Dr. Jeff Dickey, 413-367-9766
