Specifically, the EPA will increase mercury controls a full 70 percent for power plants that use a type of coal called lignite coal, which has been subject to looser mercury controls.
Meanwhile the proposed rule will tighten limits for other pollutants across the board, such as lead, nickel and arsenic, by 67 percent.
Mercury can cause brain and nervous system damage with in-utero exposure, as well as cause kidney problems in both adults and children. Meanwhile, exposure to other substances limited by the rule can cause heart attacks, cancer and developmental delays.
The EPA in February restored the legal justification for regulating releases of toxic mercury from coal- and oil-fired power plants after the Trump administration undercut the legal basis and made the rule easier to challenge in court.
“By leveraging proven, emissions-reduction measures available at reasonable costs and encouraging new, advanced control technologies, we can reduce hazardous pollution from coal-fired power plants, protecting our planet and improving public health for all,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
