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: 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