Pennsylvania Agreement - It Is Finally Done, Or Is It?

From Penn Future through the PR Newswire

The final hurdle has been crossed in the long debate over mercury emissions in Pennsylvania. On the heals of Colorado's compromise decision earlier this week, the citizens of Pennsylvania can now count themselves among the lucky ones that have formidable mercury emissions legislation statewide. PennFutrue expresses their pleasure with the outcome, as they have led a fierce fight for this on behalf of babies born and unborn and the community in general. The following are a few excerpts from their Press Release, and I want to personally congratulate them on their victory.

Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture) today expressed pleasure that the leaders of the Pennsylvania Senate Environmental Resources and Energy (ERE) Committee bowed to reality and accepted the mercury regulations legally adopted last session. (...) The decision to stop fighting the regulations was announced in a letter to Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Kathleen McGinty from Senators Mary Jo White (R-Venango) and Raphael Musto (D-Luzerne), Chair and Democratic Chair of the ERE Committee.
(...)
Jan Jarrett, vice president of PennFuture (said) "Nearly 11,000 Pennsylvanians formally supported the regulations, and more than 100 organizations including health care professionals, people of faith, anglers and hunters, other environmental groups and women's rights groups all were part of the campaign to stop toxic mercury pollution. It is gratifying that the senators have recognized their inability to win a fight on these rules, and have decided to accept the public process and the public will, making this a banner day for public health and for Pennsylvania's environment and economy.

"But we are very concerned that these senators are announcing their intent to open a new front of opposition," Jarrett continued. "Pennsylvania's mercury rule already achieves compromises with industry, accommodating their concerns. We cannot and will not compromise with the health of our most vulnerable.

I too hope that the officials in Pennsylvania let the will of the people of their fine state take precedence over industry interests.