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News from
the Office of…
Congressman
John M. McHugh
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McHugh Successful in Fight to Include
Acid Rain, Mercury Provisions in Climate Change Legislation
Important Victory in Longtime
Fight to Protect NY from
Devastating Impact of Pollutants
Washington, D.C. - Congressman
John M. McHugh (R-Pierrepont Manor), a longtime advocate of regulating
mercury emissions and the pollutants that cause acid rain, was
successful in his fight to get provisions related to these pollutants
included in the climate change bill that passed the House of
Representatives today. Congressman McHugh is the only member
of the House of Representatives to have authored and introduced
legislation in the current and past Congress to specifically
limit the emissions of sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury from coal-fired
power plants. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx)
emissions cause acid rain, which, along with mercury pollutants,
have had a devastating impact in the Adirondacks and across the
nation.
Congressman McHugh released the
following statement:
“As all of us in Northern
and Central New York know, the effects on our region from coal-fired
power plants are, and have been, devastating. For years, legislators
and environmental advocates in New York and across the country
have been working to enact meaningful regulations on sulfur dioxide,
nitrogen oxide, and mercury. For too long, Congress had failed
to act. That changed today.
“This legislation provided
the best opportunity since I have been in Congress for significant
legislative action to be taken in the fight to combat acid rain
and mercury precipitation. Given the current lack of any certain
regulatory structure caused by judicial action striking down
existing regulations, the time to act is now. My amendment provides
an 18 month time frame for the Environmental Protection Agency
to study the effects of different carbon reduction strategies
on reducing emissions of NOx, SO2 and mercury. This will ensure
that as we move to control greenhouse gas emissions, particularly
from coal-fired power plants that emit mercury, NOx and SO2,
we do not lose the opportunity to implement the most cost effective
ways of controlling soot, smog and mercury. This report puts
us on a path to action, which is an absolute imperative.
“Unfortunately in Congress,
we rarely get to vote on perfect legislation. We have to make
tough choices. This bill was certainly far from perfect. I
am hopeful that as the Senate takes up this proposal and we continue
discussions in the House, significant sections will be improved.
Furthermore, I hope that the final version of this legislation,
after consideration by the United States Senate and a conference
committee, will include even stronger regulations of these harmful
emissions. My amendment makes this possible.
“Today’s vote was a
victory for our region. New York is home to many of our nation’s
greatest lakes, rivers, and forests. By being a responsible
steward of our environment, we will reap greater economic gains
for our region and an enhanced quality of life for us all.”
Additional Quotes
“Congressman John McHugh’s
amendment has improved the Waxman Climate Change Cap and Trade
Bill, without slowing down or impeding the passage of this crucial
legislation,” said Brian L. Houseal, Executive Director
of the Adirondack Council, a leading environmental organization
focusing on acid rain and climate change; New York’s 9,300-square-mile
Adirondack Park is suffering from both. “McHugh’s
addition to the bill is the very first action Congress will have
taken on the still unsolved problem of acid rain since the demise
of the Clean Air Interstate Rule last December. EPA will have
18 months to tell Congress what further pollution cuts will be
needed to completely control sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides
and mercury pollution, currently spewing from those same power
plant smokestacks that will be ordered to make carbon dioxide
cuts under the Cap and Trade Bill.”
“The Adirondack Mountain
Club worked closely with Congressman McHugh to help craft his
four-pollutant legislation, so we’re thrilled that the American
Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 incorporates provisions
designed to achieve the objectives of McHugh’s bill,”
said Neil Woodworth, Executive Director of the Adirondack Mountain
Club. “This addition to Waxman-Markey makes a good bill
even better because it addresses acid rain and mercury contamination
as well as climate change.”
Background
Sulfur and nitrogen emissions
cause acid rain, which destroys forests, kills aquatic life,
and poisons water. Additionally, scientific studies have identified
a relationship between elevated levels of the fine particles
that cause acid rain and increased illness and premature death
from heart and lung disorders, such as asthma and bronchitis.
Mercury emissions have been linked to neurological and kidney
disorders, particularly in the development of fetuses.
Congressional action is needed
immediately due to judicial activity in the past year. In July
2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
vacated the 2005 Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), which called
for a 70 percent reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions and a
60 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions by 2015 from
28 Eastern States. Although the CAIR has been temporarily reinstated,
the EPA has said it will take years for a final ruling. Furthermore,
in February 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District
of Columbia vacated the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR), which
for the first time created a national mercury emissions regulation
program. The CAMR called for a 70 percent reduction in mercury
emissions from coal-fired power plants by 2018. This rule has
not been reinstated, thus allowing mercury emissions to be completely
unregulated at the Federal level.
Congressman McHugh introduced
the Acid Rain and Mercury Control Act in April 2009, which is
similar to legislation he authored and introduced in the 110th
Congress. Prior to that, Congressman McHugh had long worked
with other Representatives from the New York State Delegation
by authoring and cosponsoring legislation to restrict these emissions.
The Adirondack Council and the Adirondack Mountain Club are
strong supporters of Congressman McHugh’s work to combat
acid rain and mercury precipitation.
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