I'm Back - 9 States Suing EPA - Montana Talking Tough - Pennsylvania Law Finalized - and more!

I go away for a week and the world decides to talk about mercury emissions like crazy.

We knew the EPA Rules regarding portland cement plants was going to come under fire and it has in a big way. Nine States and several Environmental Groups have taken the EPA to court again. In separate filings the Bush administrations EPA is being challenged that its recent ruling, or lack thereof, is in violation of the Clean Air Act. If you follow mercury emissions at all, and I hope you all do, this probably comes as no surprize to you. Hg-ATME reported way back in Dec that the EPA action was really inaction. As Hg-ATME also reported this may be the opportunity to see if EPA violated the Clean Air Act in another way by self-initiating a reconsideration of its rules.

Then, while I'm away, Pennsylvania decides to turn its much debated rule into law by publishing the ruling in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. I follow this States turmoil over mercury emission legislation for months and then I go away for a week and they act like there is no tomorrow. Congratulations!

In some surprising news Montana lawmakers began to get tough on mercury emissions too. An excerpt from the Billings Gazette follows;

The bill to amend state air-quality laws was proposed by Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, and the hearing was held before the House Federal Relations, Energy and Telecommunications Committee.

House Bill 586 would require existing fossil-fuel or biomass power plants to reduce mercury emissions by at least 90 percent by Jan. 1, 2010.

That is some pretty tough legislation. Other States that have written their own get-tough rules on mercury emissions have gone to the 90% reduction but given plants more time to get there. January 1, 2010 is right around the corner. By being a little more compromising on the time line the Montana legislators that want tough mercury rules may find it easier going. But that is just my opinion, and I could be wrong. Reading the whole article one learns of other concerns about western coal.

And from down under we get some really progressive news. No more incandescent light bulbs in all of Australia starting in 2010. They propose that by going to all fluorescent bulbs the energy savings (and subsequent reduced energy generation and resultng CO2 and mercury emissions) will offset the environmental effects of the small amounts of mercury in the bulbs. Some Aussie Enviros feel they ought to sign on to Kyoto first.

I will continue to look at what is hot news in the world of mercury emissions. I didn't come into contact with any New Hampshire mercury hotspots, at least not as far as I know. Bretton Woods was anything but hot, the skiing was fantastic.