Mercury Rising: Congress Argues another Issue that Affects Women and Pregnancy

Women should pay special attention to the congressional debate over mercury emissions. Pregnant women and infant children are especially susceptible to the toxin, which can cause birth defects and contribute to ADHD, autism, and other neurological problems.

On September 12 and 13, 2005, Democrats employed a little-used tactic in order to attempt to strengthen mercury pollution controls. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) exercised the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to challenge regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies.

Although the Senate agreed to the review procedure, it rejected the resolution to overrule the EPA regulations and write new ones.

EPA and mercury

Current EPA regulations will reduce mercury emissions by an estimated 70 percent by the year 2025, using what lawmakers call a "cap-and-trade" program. These rules allow power plants to opt out of emissions controls by purchasing other plants’ rights to allowed emissions. In other words, power plants can buy and sell (or "trade") emissions permits. This will cause some plants to drastically reduce emissions and sell their permits while other plants maintain their level of emissions by buying permits.

Critics of the cap-and-trade approach say it creates "hot spots" or, regions with higher pollution.

Democrats and some Republicans, including Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, want stricter regulations on mercury. They want to follow a Clinton-era rule that requires all power plants to install new pollution-control technologies as they become available.

Mercury basics

Mercury is emitted by coal-fired power plants and pollutes the air, streams, lakes and rivers. The toxin accumulates in fish, so the Food and Drug Administration and 43 states have released fish consumption advisories.

In particular, pregnant women should not consume large amounts of fish, since the contaminant becomes more concentrated in the umbilical cord than in the mother’s blood.

The EPA reports that one child in six born in the United States could be at risk of developmental disorders due to pre-natal exposure to high concentrations of mercury.

Republicans say

Many Republicans and a few Democrats say that requiring power plants to install mercury controls is too expensive and could negatively impact the economy.

They believe that mercury’s harmful effects to the human body must be weighed against any new regulations’ harmful effects to the economy. A slower economy means lost jobs, which also hurts people.

Lawmakers on this side of the debate feel that the current EPA standards strike a fair balance among the tradeoffs.

Democrats say

Democrats and a few Republicans believe that current regulations unfairly favor industry and ignore the serious health problems caused by mercury.

They believe that mercury, a teaspoon of which can kill an entire pond, must be vigorously regulated.

Democrats say that current regulations defy the 1990 Clean Air Act - following the Act would start regulating mercury in the year 2008 and would result in a 90 percent reduction in emissions. Further, legislators on this side of the issue explain that not strictly regulating mercury emissions costs money too. Health problems caused by mercury pollution cost taxpayers and raise health care costs.

Do you think Congress should consider the effects on the economy when regulating mercury emissions? Should the government be more adamant about warning expectant mothers about the dangers of mercury exposure? Do you tend to worry more about health or the economy/jobs?

Your voice is vital. Make sure your leaders know what’s important to you. To see how your representatives voted on this resolution and to contact them, click here.

What do you think?

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Article Posted on: 9/18/2005