Editor:
On June 20, Senators Bennet and Udall stood up for Coloradans health by voting against a bill to block much-needed mercury pollution standards for power plants. In 2010, Colorado power plants emitted 645 pounds of toxic mercury into our air. This mercury pollution threatens our health and our environment, when it falls into our waterways and contaminates fish that end up on our dinner plates. Mercury exposure can lead to learning disabilities and developmental disorders in children, and already one in 10 American women of childbearing age is likely to have mercury levels in her blood high enough to put her baby at risk.
Thankfully the Obama administration recently finalized a standard to clean up mercury pollution from power plants. The new standard will cut mercury pollution from power plants by 90 percent.
But on June 20, the U.S. Senate voted on a bill to block the new standard. Thankfully, with the help of Senators Bennet and Udalls votes, the Senate rejected this bill, which would have put up to 11,000 American lives at risk every year. Environment Colorado applauds Senators Bennet and Udall for standing up for Coloradans health and our environment by opposing this reckless attack on a commonsense measure to protect our kids health.
Bessie Schwarz
Environment Colorado
Denver
Via email
