Isra-Mart srl : House Republicans roll up sleeves to fight EPA toxic pollution rules

www.isra-mart.com

Isra-Mart srl news:

House Republicans are to continue their assault on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week, with a hearing on the Agency's recent rules concerning air pollution scheduled for tomorrow.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Republican congressman Fred Upton, has been conducting a series of hearings which will culminate this week in a discussion of the EPA's air quality rules.
On Friday, the Sub Committee on Energy and Power will conduct a hearing on "recent EPA rulemakings relating to boilers, cement-manufacturing plants and utilities". This refers to rules recently proposed by the Agency that would address toxins such as mercury, arsenic, chromium and hydrogen chloride in industrial emissions.

The EPA proposed the rules, which would cut mercury emissions from coal plants by 91 per cent, in March. The plan would have introduced a single, national standard for mercury emissions for the first time, replacing a piecemeal state-by-state system that targets high emitters to varying degrees.

As head of the Committee, Upton has launched a series of controversial attacks against the EPA, repeatedly questioning its role in regulating pollutants. Last month, he proposed a bill that would have prevented the Agency from regulating carbon dioxide. The bill made it through the Republican-controlled House, but the victory is likely to remain symbolic as similar legislation was blocked by the Senate.

Peter Altman, Washington DC climate campaign director at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), points out that the hearing on Friday will be the first formal discussion on the possibility of stopping or delaying the Agency from reducing toxic pollution.

The NRDC examined data from the Toxic Release Inventory, and found that Michigan's sixth district (Upton's) contains 33 plants emitting more than 365,000 pounds of toxic pollution annually.

"Now, who in their right mind would advocate for the EPA to do anything other than hurry up and cut the pollution coming from these kinds of plants?" said Altman.

The hearing comes just days after House Republicans moved forward with a package of bills that increases support for offshore oil drilling.

Three bills proposing a series of measures that would relax regulations and step up support for oil companies passed through a congressional committee on Wednesday.

Republicans said the changes were necessary to boost US domestic oil production. But Democrats countered that the government should not be expanding offshore oil drilling and relaxing regulations with the BP oil spill set to mark its first anniversary next week.

The bills are expected to be approved by the House next week, but are unlikely to make it through the Democrat-controlled Senate.