The following alert is forwarded from EARTHWORKS:
Urge the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce mercury pollution from gold mines
Tell the EPA: improve the rules to get toxic mercury out of our air!
Dear Supporter,
EPA is drafting new mercury regulations.
Many gold mines are significant sources of mercury air pollution, yet there are no federal regulations that require gold mines to control their emissions.
The EPA has finally drafted regulations, which are currently available for public comment.
EPA’s mercury regs need strengthening.
These regulations are an important step in reducing mercury pollution. But the draft regulations need to be strengthened.
The proposed regulations will allow an unacceptable amount of mercury to be released by new mines.
ONE Alaska mine could release THOUSANDS of pounds of mercury!
For example, the Donlin Creek mine proposed in Alaska could release as much as 3,000 pounds of mercury air pollution each year under the new regulations. This is 40 times the amount of mercury currently released by all industries in Alaska.
TAKE ACTION:
Tell the U.S. EPA to strengthen the mercury mining air pollution rule.
Send a letter to requesting these key changes:
- Significantly reduce the mercury emission limits for new mines.
- Require quarterly compliance testing to make sure mines are using the control technology.
- Improve the long-term storage requirements for mercury.
Sincerely,
Bonnie Gestring, EARTHWORKS
Instructions:
- Go to the action page
- Read the sample letter at page bottom that appears and edit it if possible. Customized letters have greater impact.
- Click “Send My Message” to send your letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information, visit the action page.
