Wildlife and New Yorkers have a common enemy—mercury pollution. Let’s do something about it.
Coal-fired power plants are a major source of mercury pollution in New York , polluting our lakes, rivers and forests. Most of us know that this pollution puts our fish at risk. Did you know that countless species of birds, mammals and reptiles are at risk, too?
National Wildlife Federation recently released a report documenting mercury pollution in New York ’s wildlife which is more widespread than previously reported. To see the complete report, click here.
There is something we can do about mercury pollution in New York and we need your help.
The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has developed a plan to cut mercury pollution from the state’s coal plants. Environmental Advocates of New York and our allies at National Wildlife Federation don’t think it’s strong enough.
Please e-mail the DEC by Friday, October 20. Tell them you want to cut mercury pollution and you want to cut it soon. Click here to send a letter to the DEC.
For more information visit www.eany.org.
Sincerely,
David Gahl
Air & Energy Program Director
Environmental Advocates of New York
Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Mr. David Gardner, Department of Air Resources, DEC
Below is the sample letter:
Subject: Cut mercury emissions by 90 percent by 2010
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I am writing to urge you to finalize a regulation that cuts mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants in New York by 90 percent by 2010. New York has a serious mercury contamination problem, particularly in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountain areas.
Technology is available to affordably control 90 percent of the mercury pollution coming out of our coal plants, and we fully support the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) action to require this at every plant in the state.
However, New Yorkers should not have to wait nine years for these pollution reductions. If DEC were to tighten the deadline to 2010, consistent with other states’ requirements, we could prevent almost 3,000 pounds of needless mercury pollution from poisoning New York’s air and water.
The sooner we clean up our power plant smokestacks, the sooner we will see relief from mercury contamination. I appreciate all of the work the DEC as done on this issue to date. Why are we waiting to protect public health and wildlife?
Thank you for considering this request.
Sincerely,
What’s At Stake:
We need to tell the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to cut mercury emissions from power plants as soon as possible and not wait until 2015 for significant reductions.
In early September, the DEC released proposed regulations to limit the amount of mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants. This plan would set a statewide cap on mercury emissions at nearly 800 pounds per year starting in 2010, which the DEC claims is a 50 percent reduction from current levels. Starting in 2015, the DEC plan would reduce emissions by 90 percent.
New Yorkers shouldn’t have to wait another nine years for the 90 percent reduction.
Massachusetts , Connecticut and New Jersey have programs that would reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants by 85 to 90 percent by 2008 – that’s seven years ahead of the New York plan. Pennsylvania , a state that relies heavily on coal for its power, has proposed a rule seeking an 80 percent reduction by 2010, making for much deeper cuts than the first phase of our plan.
If the DEC mandated the 90 percent reduction starting in 2010, we could avoid another 600 pounds of mercury emitted every year, mercury that ends up in our rivers, lakes, fish and wildlife. Under the proposed plan, that adds up to almost 3,000 pounds of unnecessary mercury pollution during the five year period.
States that have taken action to reduce mercury pollution are already seeing local benefits. When emissions are cut, mercury levels in fish and wildlife go down.
About Mercury Pollution
Mercury is a hazardous toxin. Exposure to mercury can damage the nervous system and kidneys and is especially dangerous for children and pregnant women, as well as countless species of fish, birds, and reptiles.
For people, the primary method of exposure is eating contaminated fish. Currently, the New York State Department of Health advises people to avoid or limit eating fish caught in more than 130 lakes, rivers and streams throughout the state (87 of these are due to mercury contamination alone).
Power plants account for more than 40 percent of total U.S. mercury emissions.
Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, Anti-War, Death Penalty, Ecology, Food, New York State Politics, Our Favorite Radio Stations, Political Websites Tagged: | book of the month
Leave a Reply