WASHINGTON - January 30 - Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club's Executive Director.

"The Bush administration has once again put the interests of corporate polluters ahead of America's public health. A rule published in the Federal Register today makes official a proposal announced by the Environmental Protection Agency last December to permit power plants to emit higher levels of toxic mercury for the next decade and beyond. With mercury pollution affecting nearly one in twelve American women, it is astonishing that the Bush administration is proposing weak air pollution protections. And although the administration is required to solicit public input to make the mercury rule change official, the plan calls for only three public hearings and a 60-day public comment period. It's yet another example of the Bush administration elbowing Americans out of important decisions affecting their health.

"Strong protections against mercury pollution work. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection found that after dramatically reducing mercury emissions from incinerators in southern Florida, mercury levels in fish decreased to the point where consumption advisories for bass were removed.

"There is a better way. The Bush administration should strongly enforce the laws that we know work to protect our communities from mercury pollution, increase the number of public hearings about mercury, and extend the public comment period to a full 90 days. This way, more Americans will have the opportunity to register their complaints about this ill-conceived scheme."

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