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Letter by OSN on Proposed Mercury Rule
Dear Mr. Terrill:
On behalf of the 500+ members of the Oklahoma Sustainability Network, I ask
you to reconsider Air Quality Council Agenda item F. OAC 252:100-44.
Control of Mercury Emissions from Coal Fired Electric Steam Generating
Units.
We strongly oppose incorporating by reference the federal Clean Air Mercury
Rule (CAMR) issued in May 2005.
The OSN doesn't often make a formal statement of position, but we have
studied this issue carefully and deliberately and we believe that the
proven risks posed by mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants are
serious and immediate.
Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin that has been linked to serious health
problems, ranging from damage to the brains of infants - making it more
difficult for children to learn - to heart attacks in adults. Forty-five
states have fish advisories warning people to avoid or limit eating
mercury-contaminated fish. The Food and Drug Administration has cautioned
pregnant and nursing mothers, especially, to avoid or limit consumption of
some mercury-tainted fish, including canned tuna. These warnings aren't
just precautionary. One in six women of childbearing age already has blood
mercury levels exceeding what EPA considers safe for a developing baby.
Coal-fired power plants in the United States produce 48 tons of mercury
emissions per year. With new plants currently proposed for Oklahoma and
Texas, and more plants on the horizon, we believe that strong rules are
needed to protect the citizens of our state. The technology exists today
to reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent or more, and many plants
throughout the country are already using it.
We believe that a good approach to controlling mercury emissions in
Oklahoma is contained in the model put forth under the auspices of the
State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators (STAPPA) and
the Association of Local Air Pollution Control Officials (ALAPCO). This
state and local model calls for capturing at least 90% of mercury from
coal-fired plants and, unlike the federal approach, it would not permit
power companies to trade mercury emissions credits.
We urge you to adopt this model for Oklahoma.
Sincerely,
Seneca Scott, OSN-President
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