Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Did They? or, Didn't They? Cement Kiln Mercury Emissions Continue Unchecked!

There are certainly different points of view floating throughout cyberspace today on whether EPA shirked its duty under the law to limit emissions from portland cement kilns. They did act on all yet-to-be-constructed (new) kilns, but failed to limit existing kilns in any way. Some see this as not following court orders. Read the following articles and see where you fall.

From the Environmental News Service - Full article here.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, signed a rule late Friday night that fails to control mercury pollution from any currently operating cement kilns, some of the nation's worst mercury emitters.

"We have two big problems here," said James Pew, an Earthjustice attorney. "One problem is the massive amounts of mercury that cement kilns are being allowed to emit. The other is an administration that thinks it is above the law."

From the Detroit Free Press - Full article here.

The federal government has set limits on airborne mercury emissions from cement kilns six years after a court order required them, but they don't apply to existing plants.

Once fully in effect, the rules announced Monday will prevent 1,300 to 3,000 pounds of mercury nationwide from escaping into the atmosphere each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said. Mercury can damage the nervous system and cause developmental problems in children.

Am I missing something here? Are there lots and lots of "new" portland cement kilns coming on line? This rule does nothing to limit the "grossly underestimated" 6 TONS of mercury emissions currently coming from cement kilns each year.

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