Lisa Frank
Executive Director, Environment America Research & Policy Center; Vice President and D.C. Director, The Public Interest Network
Statement: EPA tells power plants to clean up their act
Media Contacts
WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday finalized new rules to reduce air, water and climate pollution from coal and new gas plants. The new standards will:
- Reduce mercury pollution from certain coal plants by about 70 percent. Mercury is so toxic that just fractions of an ounce can contaminate waterways and make fish unsafe to eat.
- Slash the quantity of heavy metals and other pollutants dumped by power plants into the nation’s waterways and require legacy coal ash ponds to reduce their risk of spills. Coal ash is a waste product from coal-fired power plants that can smother landscapes and contaminate waterways with toxic chemicals such as arsenic, mercury and selenium, and many legacy ponds are accidents waiting to happen.
- Cut climate-warming pollution from existing coal and new gas plants. Forty-five of the fifty biggest climate polluters in the United States are power plants that burn coal and/or gas.
In response to the EPA’s announcement, Lisa Frank, executive director of Environment America Research & Policy Center’s Washington Office, released the following statement:
“Toxic air, contaminated water and an ever-warming climate used to be the price we had to pay to heat our homes, fuel industries or even turn on a lightbulb. The combined death toll from fossil fuel pollution was estimated to be 350,000 people in 2018 – that’s tragic and increasingly absurd. In 2024, with clean, renewable energy available, Americans should no longer have to pay for power with our health.
“Today’s announcements by the EPA send a clear message to polluting power plants: It’s time to clean up your act. We applaud the EPA and President Biden for these steps toward cleaner air and water while ensuring a more stable future for our kids and grandkids.”