Sen. Carper Commends U.S. Mayors for Supporting Strong Mercury Protections

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Clean Air, reacted to the announcement by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and 90 other mayors across America that they support the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards to curb emissions from our nation’s largest power plants. The mayors voiced their support in a joint letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. Sen. Carper’s full statement follows:

“I want to thank New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Wilmington, Del., Mayor James Baker and the other mayors from cities and towns across the United States for their leadership in supporting the Environmental Protection Agency’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. These new standards smartly focus on our nation’s largest sources of mercury pollution, requiring coal and oil-fired power plants to reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent. Curbing this pollution will in turn reduce the mercury that contaminates our streams, lakes, and oceans and pollutes our fish with dangerous levels of mercury that are particularly harmful to pregnant women and our children. This long overdue public health measure will help ensure our nation’s utilities are doing their very best to keep our air and water clean—allowing Americans to live better, healthier and, in some cases, longer lives. As someone who has tried for years to work across the aisle to find a way to clean up our nation’s power plants, I welcome the support of these 91 mayors – who represent over 34 million people – in backing this common sense and long overdue regulation. I will also strongly oppose any attempt to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from moving forward with these critical efforts to reduce harmful emissions like mercury.”

To read a copy of the mayors’ letter to EPA Administrator Jackson, please click here.