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Gov. Gregoire's Statement on New Federal Rule to Limit Mercury Emissions

Statement

Date: Dec. 21, 2011
Location: Olympia, WA
Issues: Animals and Wildlife Environment

Gov. Chris Gregoire issued the following statement after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced its new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, the first national standards to protect American families from power plant emissions of mercury and toxic air pollution like arsenic, acid gas, nickel, selenium, and cyanide:

"I applaud EPA for taking strong action to curb harmful, toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants. In Washington, we're fortunate that we have been out front in protecting our people and our environment from such risks.

"For example, agreements between the state and TransAlta and legislation I signed earlier this year place even more protective limits on emissions from the Centralia-area plant than this national action requires, and does so sooner.

"But we still bear the costs of airborne pollutants that reach our state from other parts of the nation. Those pollutants can harm our people, our animals, and our fisheries. So the additional protections the EPA action will afford will benefit us all and our quality of life."


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