News Coverage
Palm Beach Post
Published December 15, 2003
A month ago, the Environmental Protection Agency celebrated a study showing that mercury contamination in the Everglades has declined dramatically over the past 10 years, largely because of strict federal and state controls on medical and municipal waste incinerator emissions. Mercury contamination in fish has dropped 60 percent and contamination in Everglades birds has fallen by 70 percent since 1989, the EPA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced proudly.
This month, when the EPA was expected to issue new rules that would force power plants to reduce their mercury pollution, the agency instead revealed plans to weaken controls. The payoff to the coal-fired power plants that are the nation's largest remaining source of airborne mercury was Michael Leavitt's first action as EPA administrator, signaling that the White House still intends to control the agency.
After mercury from power plants is emitted into the air, it mixes with rain and falls into lakes, rivers and oceans, moving into the food chain and contaminating fish. When people eat fish, the mercury starts to accumulate in humans, and it is particularly dangerous to fetuses and young children. It has been linked to neurological problems, learning disabilities and mental retardation. Mercury contamination is so prevalent nationwide that state and federal officials routinely warn pregnant women and young children against eating fish. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration last week released new test information on tuna, showing that the more expensive white, or albacore, has three times as much mercury as the cheaper "light" canned tuna.
Knowing that, and knowing that mercury contamination drops significantly with strict regulation, the EPA's decision to not regulate hazardous power-plant emissions is all the harder to defend. The new rules would delay a plan to cut pollution by 90 percent over the next three years and put in place a system of trading pollution credits that would create "hot spots" near power plants emitting mercury. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., has urged Mr. Leavitt not to weaken the rules.
But ignoring its own studies and letting industry dictate regulations became prevalent at the EPA under former Administrator Christie Whitman. Mr. Leavitt has had his first lesson: Under President Bush, protection is for industry, not people or the environment.