House Republicans vote to increase mercury emissions

[Chris]

GLENS FALLS -- The cement industry has won its first round in an attempt to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from putting in place a new regulation aimed at reducing mercury emissions.

The U.S. House of Representatives late Thursday voted to pass an amendment to suspend EPA funding for implementation and enforcement of the rule that management of the local Lehigh Northeast Cement plant says would force it to spend millions dollars in plant improvements at a tough time in the economy.

U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, voted against the amendment.

"I remain concerned that allowing increased mercury emissions to pollute our region will have long-term implications not only for public health, but also for a healthy tourism industry. This industry relies on a clean environment to encourage the hunting, fishing, skiing and other outdoor activities upstate New Yorkers enjoy," Owens said in a statement.

Mercury is an element found in air, water and soil, and people are most often exposed to it when they eat fish or shellfish that contain it, according to the EPA.

High levels of mercury in the bloodstream of unborn babies and young children may harm the developing nervous system.

House defeats EPA mercury requirement that would affect cement companies

 

[Charles_Main]

GLENS FALLS -- The cement industry has won its first round in an attempt to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from putting in place a new regulation aimed at reducing mercury emissions.

The U.S. House of Representatives late Thursday voted to pass an amendment to suspend EPA funding for implementation and enforcement of the rule that management of the local Lehigh Northeast Cement plant says would force it to spend millions dollars in plant improvements at a tough time in the economy.

U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, voted against the amendment.

"I remain concerned that allowing increased mercury emissions to pollute our region will have long-term implications not only for public health, but also for a healthy tourism industry. This industry relies on a clean environment to encourage the hunting, fishing, skiing and other outdoor activities upstate New Yorkers enjoy," Owens said in a statement.

Mercury is an element found in air, water and soil, and people are most often exposed to it when they eat fish or shellfish that contain it, according to the EPA.

High levels of mercury in the bloodstream of unborn babies and young children may harm the developing nervous system.

House defeats EPA mercury requirement that would affect cement companies

Typical Chris.

They voted not to implement stricter Regulations. That is not the same as voting to Increase Mercury output.

Typical Drama queen Theatrics.

Must have taken this one from Obama's Play book. It is just like how he asked for Tax Increases then made a deal not to increase them, and is now trying to sell that as him lowering Taxes in this budget.

 

[whitehall]

Get used to it folks. Even though republicans have had a a majority in one part of one branch of government for little more than a month the left will try to demonize them anyway they can. You can bet your ass(ets) that the democrats have a hundred lawyers combing through every motion and every vote the GOP makes looking for victims and murcury emissions. Only fools buy into this stuff.

 

[Stephanie]

What a total bullshit dishonest title.

you wonder how these liars can sleep at night.

 

[uscitizen]

Mercury in our environment makes more right winger Beck viewers. Republicans like that.

but seriously mercury in our environment may be responsible for the rise in mental retardation among our children.

 

[Stephanie]

Mercury in our environment makes more right winger Beck viewers. Republicans like that.

my dear, you used to sane.

 

[WillowTree]

Mercury in our environment makes more right winger Beck viewers. Republicans like that.

but seriously mercury in our environment may be responsible for the rise in mental retardation among our children.

Just have more abortions..

 

[rdean]

U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, voted in favor of the amendment, that passed the House by a vote of 250 to 177, according to the Portland Cement Association, an industry group based in Washington.
"This is a glaring example of government regulations standing in the way of economic growth. We must remove these impediments so our local businesses can create jobs right here at home," Gibson said in a statement.
Gibson said there are two cement plants in his congressional district: Lehigh Northeast Cement of Glens Falls and Holcim Cement of Catskill, in Greene County.

But in January 2004 the Bush administration proposed to weaken and delay efforts to clean up mercury emissions from roughly 1,100 coal-fired boilers at more than 460 electric power plants. Essentially, the administration's plan treats mercury as if it were a run-of-the-mill air pollutant instead of a hazardous air pollutant, allowing the Environmental Protection Agency to avoid requiring power plants to reduce emissions by the maximum amount technologically achievable.

NRDC: Mercury Contamination in Fish - Know Where It's Coming From

In 1962, it was found that methyl mercury causes unborn children’s poisoning via the placenta. It is called congenital Minamata Disease (Minamata Disease Research Group; 1968, Harada M; 1986). The author has identified 64 cases of it so far. All its patients are such that another member or other members of their family had also suffered from Minamata Disease and their mothers ate much fishes and shellfishes during pregnancy. The site and timing (1952-1963) of congenital Minamata Disease agreed with those of acquired Minamata Disease. The handicapped accounted for 9.0% of the children newly born in the settlements with the highest density of the disease. Observed among its initial symptoms were such ones as mental retardation with 100% of its patients, primitive reflexes with 100%, coordination disturbance with 100%, dysarthria with 100%, limb deformation with 100%, growth disorder with 100%, chorea-athetose with 95%, and hypersalivation with 95%. What a mercury value they showed soon after their birth was not known because the disease was found out five through eight years later (Harada M; 1986). In Japan, it is an old custom that the umbilical cords of newly-born children are preserved by their parents in memory of their birth. Noting it, the author and others measured their methyl mercury value. As the result, the high methyl mercury values of 1.0 ppm or so were detected from them (Harada M; 1995). In addition, it became pathologically and experimentally clear that it belonged to the category of viviparous methyl mercury poisoning. The congenital Minamata Disease that occurred via the placenta was the first that had ever been found out in the world. Besides, all its patients’ symptoms were serious and those with neither mild nor imperfect type symptoms were not found out among them. The school children living in polluted areas showed mild diskinesia and intellectual disturbance. The author and others considered that they had occurred under the influence of methyl mercury. Lately it has been suggested that an influence may be exerted on unborn children although the hair mercury value of already-born children is up to tentative safety criterion 50 ppm (Harada M;1996).

Minamata Disease and the Mercury Pollution of the Globe

The Environmental Protection Agency said that tiny particles of mercury travel through smokestacks into the air and fall onto soil or water. One of the most common sources of mercury contamination is coal-burning power plants.

Chinese Pollution A Rising Health Threat

ScienceDaily (Dec. 20, 2002) — SANTA CRUZ, CA -- Industrial emissions in Asia are a major source of mercury in rainwater that falls along the California coast, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The researchers reported their findings in a paper published online today by the Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres. (The paper will appear in print in a later issue of the journal.)

Mercury In California Rainwater Traced To Industrial Emissions In Asia

On Monday, the People's Daily published a report showing that 800,000 to 1.2 million babies are born with defects on an annual basis, in China.

China Contributes 20% in the World

Some people see horror at birth defects, others see successful business opportunities.

 

[Stephanie]

Oh boy, HERE COME THE SCARY PICTURES.

 

[uscitizen]

Oh boy, HERE COME THE SCARY PICTURES.

Yep.

 

[Stephanie]

​

Oh boy, HERE COME THE SCARY PICTURES.

Yep.

my dear, you used to be sane. what happened?

 

[uscitizen]

Please do not insult me by calling me sane.
supposedly sane people elected Bush twice.

 

[Intense]

Maybe We can take some of that wasted NPR money or Cash for Clunker Money and apply it to real change instead. Why not subsidize the conversion doing something constructive with Federal money, rather than Pissing it away??? Won't this actually benefit the public, or are you past the need for cement??? Unfunded mandates for the Private Sector, Raise and Benefit increases for Public Workers??? You deal the cards, look at your hand, and then change the rules, every time. Patience is wearing thin.

From your link.

Stuart Guinther, plant manager of the Lehigh Northeast plant on Lower Warren Street in Glens Falls, said he appreciates Gibson's support.
Guinther said the vote in the House provides the industry with more time to educate the public about the issue.
"It's not so one-dimensional as one would be led to believe," he said.
The rule that the EPA issued in September would require the Glens Falls plant to make "major reworks of our process line" as well as install new mercury-monitoring equipment by July 2013, Guinther has said.
The rule was issued in response to a lawsuit won by attorneys general in New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland and Massachusetts.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman issued a press release earlier this week criticizing the amendment that suspends funding for implementation.
The amendment was added to a House budget "Continuing Resolution" bill that continues government operations through Sept. 30.
The cement industry will now lobby the Senate to keep the amendment in its version of the budget bill, said Bryan Brendle, director of environmental and energy policy for the cement industry organization.

House defeats EPA mercury requirement that would affect cement companies

 

[Trajan]

GLENS FALLS -- The cement industry has won its first round in an attempt to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from putting in place a new regulation aimed at reducing mercury emissions.

The U.S. House of Representatives late Thursday voted to pass an amendment to suspend EPA funding for implementation and enforcement of the rule that management of the local Lehigh Northeast Cement plant says would force it to spend millions dollars in plant improvements at a tough time in the economy.

U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, voted against the amendment.

"I remain concerned that allowing increased mercury emissions to pollute our region will have long-term implications not only for public health, but also for a healthy tourism industry. This industry relies on a clean environment to encourage the hunting, fishing, skiing and other outdoor activities upstate New Yorkers enjoy," Owens said in a statement.

Mercury is an element found in air, water and soil, and people are most often exposed to it when they eat fish or shellfish that contain it, according to the EPA.

High levels of mercury in the bloodstream of unborn babies and young children may harm the developing nervous system.

House defeats EPA mercury requirement that would affect cement companies

I knew CFL's were dangerous, but not THAT dangerous....

 

[Mad Scientist]

Mercury in our environment makes more right winger Beck viewers. Republicans like that.

but seriously mercury in our environment may be responsible for the rise in mental retardation among our children.

Putting a cork up everyones' ass won't save the world.

 

[DiveCon]

GLENS FALLS -- The cement industry has won its first round in an attempt to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from putting in place a new regulation aimed at reducing mercury emissions.

The U.S. House of Representatives late Thursday voted to pass an amendment to suspend EPA funding for implementation and enforcement of the rule that management of the local Lehigh Northeast Cement plant says would force it to spend millions dollars in plant improvements at a tough time in the economy.

U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, voted against the amendment.

"I remain concerned that allowing increased mercury emissions to pollute our region will have long-term implications not only for public health, but also for a healthy tourism industry. This industry relies on a clean environment to encourage the hunting, fishing, skiing and other outdoor activities upstate New Yorkers enjoy," Owens said in a statement.

Mercury is an element found in air, water and soil, and people are most often exposed to it when they eat fish or shellfish that contain it, according to the EPA.

High levels of mercury in the bloodstream of unborn babies and young children may harm the developing nervous system.

House defeats EPA mercury requirement that would affect cement companies

Typical Chris.

They voted not to implement stricter Regulations. That is not the same as voting to Increase Mercury output.

Typical Drama queen Theatrics.

Must have taken this one from Obama's Play book. It is just like how he asked for Tax Increases then made a deal not to increase them, and is now trying to sell that as him lowering Taxes in this budget.

yeah, somehow not cutting the current levels is somehow adding more to it
chris and his cohorts are liars

 

[Chris]

The final frenzy of votes on the House GOP’s federal spending bill approved early Saturday included passage of amendments to scale-back environmental regulation of mountaintop removal coal mining projects and stymie the overhaul of a major federal climate research program.

The votes added to underlying legislation that already takes aim at the White House’s environmental and energy agenda, and green groups immediately called on Senate lawmakers to thwart the bill.

The underlying package – which funds the government through September – cuts billions of dollars from EPA’s budget, blocks funding for implementing greenhouse gas rules, sharply slashes green energy R&D programs, and thwarts a new Interior Department wilderness policy.

House scales back mining protections, other enviro rules in spending bill - The Hill's E2-Wire

 

[Chris]

Ben Pershing writes on the Virginia Politics blog that the House is expected to vote as early as Friday on a measure that would delay the Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan, sparking debate between agricultural and environmental groups and splitting the Virginia and Maryland congressional delegations in the process.

The amendment, authored by Rep. Robert Goodlatte (R-Va.), would be attached to the massive continuing resolution being debated by the House that would fund the government from March 4 through the end of September. The amendment says that no money in the bill "may be used to develop, promulgate, evaluate, implement, provide oversight to, or backstop total maximum daily loads or watershed implementation plans for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed."

Goodlatte is seeking to block a landmark proposal unveiled by the EPA in December that outlines what six states and the District must do by 2025 to clean up the Chesapeake, which absorbs pollution from farms, cities and sewage plants all over the region. The plan would put the bay on a "pollution diet" by putting limits on the "total maximum daily load" of chemicals that can flow into it.

Maryland Politics - House to vote on measure blocking EPA's Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan

 

[uscitizen]

Mercury in our environment makes more right winger Beck viewers. Republicans like that.

but seriously mercury in our environment may be responsible for the rise in mental retardation among our children.

Putting a cork up everyones' ass won't save the world.

 

[uscitizen]

yeah, somehow not cutting the current levels is somehow adding more to it
chris and his cohorts are liars


Umm not reducing the mercury output to the environment IS adding more mercury to the environment vs reducing the output of mercury into our environment.

And depending on the details of the exemption it may actually allow more mercury output by the cement corps.

this is just Republican pork.