Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled a proposal to repeal two critical and life-saving standards on air pollution. The proposal seeks to roll back safeguards on mercury, heavy metals and other hazardous pollutants, and climate-warming carbon pollution from fossil fuel power plants throughout the country. This plan undermines years of progress our nation has made toward safer, cleaner air for our children to breathe and a more hopeful climate future for all.

In response, EEN President & CEO Rev. Dr. Jessica Moerman released the following statement: 

“The EPA’s rollback of mercury pollution safeguards flies in the face of the national movement to eliminate environmental toxins from our food, air, land, and water. Pregnant women are advised not to eat certain fish due to the danger mercury poses to their child’s development, such as intellectual disabilities and birth defects. The EPA’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standard has been a tremendous success, defending the health of our children by reducing mercury emissions from power plants by 90% since it was enacted. The proposed repeal of this successful standard to rein in the largest source of industrial emissions of mercury will make it harder for mothers to ensure their children reach their God-given potential.

“We also lament the proposed repeal of protections to limit carbon pollution from carbon-based power plants. The oil and gas industry has known for decades that failing to capture their carbon emissions would harm communities, families, and businesses by fueling more extreme weather, as witnessed last year in Asheville, NC. At a time when we should be deploying our God-given ingenuity to produce clean and abundant energy, today’s proposed repeal of the power sector carbon pollution rule enables this decades-long failure to persist at the expense of community safety and our children’s future. EEN has long held that market-based approaches, like a carbon pollution fee, are the best way to encourage emission reductions. Therefore, we call on Congress to make market-based solutions to pollution a priority.”