News Release | Environment America

Obama Administration Takes Needed First Step to Protect Our Health and Environment from Fracking Air Pollution

Washington, DC--Today the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized new national standards to curb dangerous air pollution from gas drilling operations. Environment America praised the measure as an important first step in addressing the risks associated with hydraulic fracturing.

Headline

Defeat Senate Bill that attacks key public health victory

The Obama administration’s newly finalized standard to clean up the biggest sources of mercury pollution should come as a breath of fresh air.

News Release | Environment America

U.S. Senate Bill Attacks Children’s Health, Sides with Polluters

Today, Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) introduced a joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act, an effort to strike down the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Mercury and Air Toxics standard for power plants. The standard is the first-ever nationwide standard for mercury and air toxics pollution from power plants, and will cut toxic mercury pollution from power plants by 90 percent while saving 11,000 lives.

News Release | Environment America

First-Ever Mercury and Air Toxics Safeguards Will Save Lives

First-ever public health safeguards aimed at curbing emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from dirty power plants will save lives and protect kids, say leading national environmental and public health groups.  

News Release | Environment America

President Obama & EPA Protect Public Health, Announce Landmark Mercury Standard for Power Plants

Today, President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first-ever nationwide standard for mercury and air toxics pollution from power plants. A record 907,000 Americans submitted comments on the standard, which is expected to cut toxic mercury pollution from power plants by 90 percent.

News Release | Environment America

Americans Escape Worst Attacks on Public Health and Environment in Government Funding Bill

The most egregious proposed attacks on America’s environment and public health were left out of the final omnibus spending bill that Congress and the White House agreed to today, though the final bill did include several unacceptable and dangerous measures.

News Release | Environment America

U.S. House Votes to Gut Public Health and Environmental Protections

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted for a bill that makes it virtually impossible for federal agencies – like the Environmental Protection Agency - to protect public health and the environment. The bill favors special interests over the public by prioritizing industries’ profits over the health and safety of Americans.

Report | Environment America

America's Biggest Mercury Polluters: How Cleaning up the Dirtiest Power Plants will Protect Public Health

Power plants continue to release large amounts of toxic pollutants, including mercury, into our air. In 2010, two-thirds of all airborne mercury pollution in the United States came from the smokestacks of coal-fired power plants. In other words, power plants generate more airborne mercury pollution than all other industrial sources combined. Mercury is a potent neurotoxicant. Mercury exposure during critical periods of brain development can contribute to irreversible deficits in verbal skills, damage to attention and motor control, and reduced IQ. In 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the first national standards limiting mercury and other toxic air pollution from existing coal- and oil-fired power plants. Implementing these standards will protect public health.

News Release | Environment America

New Report Ranks States and Power Plants for Mercury Pollution

According to previously unreleased data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania rank first, second and third among states for the highest emissions of mercury pollution from power plants. A new report by Environment America ranks states and power plants nationwide according to their emissions of mercury, and outlines the public health threats of mercury pollution. 

News Release | Environment America

Remembering Dr. Paul Epstein, a Public Health Hero and Champion of Global Warming Solutions

I and my colleagues at Environment America are deeply saddened by the death of Dr. Paul Epstein this week.  We’ve lost a great man; one who has been at the forefront of the movement to confront global warming for more than 20 years.  

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