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The Trump administration EPA says regulations to reduce power plant emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants are too costly and should no longer be considered legally "appropriate and necessary."
In another proposed reversal of an Obama-era standard, the Environmental Protection Agency Friday said limiting mercury and other toxic emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants is not cost-effective and should not be considered "appropriate and necessary."
The EPA says it is keeping the 2012 restrictions in place for now, in large part because utilities have already spent billions to comply with them. But environmental groups worry the move is a step toward repealing the limits and could make it harder to impose other regulations in the future.
In a statement, the EPA said it is "providing regulatory certainty by transparently and accurately taking account of both costs and benefits."
The National Mining Association welcomed the move, calling the mercury limits "punitive" and "massively unbalanced."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 30 2018, @05:55PM (8 children)
Smoke with mercury and other shit in it IS BAD! Don't try and downplay it. We need to stop burning coal, period.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Sunday December 30 2018, @06:06PM (7 children)
It seems we need to stop burning all fossil fuels. Are you, personally, ready to swear off of fossil fuels, completely? If your electricity comes from a plant that burns fossil fuels, are you going to do without?
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Sunday December 30 2018, @06:41PM (1 child)
No, but I am ready to reduce CO2 output. Coal produces more CO2 per Joule than other fuels.
I put my money where my mouth is: I drive an EV, I have solar panels. Very little, or perhaps no, electricity in the grid where I live is generated using coal.
We know that the current levels of CO2 emissions are bad for the environment. We know that there are ways to produce electricity that result in less CO2 emissions and pollution. We know that coal is expensive.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 30 2018, @07:48PM
not so sure about that, bad for human living in costal area and hotter climate is not the same as bad for nature. We don't have a clue if the climate change will be a net plus or a net loss in 100y, let's imagine that climate change kills 50% of humans over 100y. This would be a tremendous relief on the earth ecosystem, would it be that bad in the long run? I don't think so.. I think that the best course of action is to assume it is going to be bad an prepare contengency mesure for when shit it the fan. Here in Canada we should reinforce our southern border while nobody look at us and start a serious artic lands occupation strategy
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 30 2018, @08:37PM (4 children)
We do need to, but this is one of those things that requires serious backing by the government to accomplish.
And how many of those power plants would be in operation without the government subsidizing them and or obstructing alternatives? It's gotten to the point where despite the best efforts of government officials that wind and solar energy are competitive with fossil fuels. Sure, we aren't to the point where it's viable to completely abandon fossil fuels, but that won't happen if we keep propping them up.
If we had stopped subsizing fossil fuels and switch that funding over to renewable sources we probably wouldn't be having this discussion right now. Because the share of energy coming from fossil fuels would already be dropping even more than it is now.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday December 30 2018, @09:00PM (3 children)
Nice rant, I guess. Unfortunately, you didn't say anything more substantial than most candidates for public office. Seriously, read over that. There's nothing more than a big bag of wind there.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 30 2018, @09:42PM (1 child)
yeah, but you say that as if your "trump is right, EPA regulations don't always make senses" mythology has any meat on it
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday December 30 2018, @09:49PM
So, uhhhh - you're saying that the EPA can make no errors? They have something like the Papal Infallibility? Got it - I'm dealing with a zealot here.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Monday December 31 2018, @06:42PM
Well, he is right about one thing. No major industry can survive without being propped up by the government, energy, agriculture, transportation, your tax dollars at work there. On the other hand, price stabilization is a thing, but I would also like to see the petrol industry compete on even footing with the alternatives. Petrol has the advantage of being easier to control and ration, so it's easy to understand why it is promoted more than the others.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..