Mercury Pollution

Mercury pollution has devastating impacts on children and pregnant women, with 1 in 10 women in the US of childbearing age having potentially dangerous levels of mercury in their bodies. Coal-fired plants emit almost three quarters of all air emissions in the U.S. This mercury pollution become airborne and eventually ends up in waterways, contaminating fish. The Mercury and Air Toxic Standards created by EPA in 2011 was designed to address this environmental hazard and according to EPA's own projections, the mercury standard has saved upward of 17,000 lives per year. Despite this success, the EPA is proposing to modify MATS, making the standards weaker. EPA is taking public comments on their proposal to revise the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. Submit your comments below. Clergy and religious leaders can sign here.

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News

• Faith leaders showed up April 17 in front of the EPA headquarters to pray for children to be protected from mercury pollution.
• Representatives from the faith community testified during the EPA hearing on Monday, March 18, in DC. Click here to view testimony from the Evangelical Environmental Network, Creation Justice Ministries, and the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life. 
• Religious organizational formal comment letter submitted to EPA. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops also submitted a formal comment to EPA. More than 50 religious leaders sent at letter to EPA.
• In response to EPA's announcement that it would revise the Mercury and Air Toxic Standards, the Evangelical Environmental Network issued a statement
• More than 20 faith groups letter responded to the news that EPA would revise the Mercury standards and urged Acting Administrator Wheeler to reverse course.