President moves to reverse policy on mercury pollution
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WASHINGTON - The Obama administration signaled yesterday that it will seek more stringent controls on mercury pollution from the nation's power plants, abandoning a Bush administration approach that the industry supported.
The Justice Department yesterday submitted papers to the Supreme Court to dismiss the Bush administration's appeal of a lower court ruling striking down its plan to allow some power plants to release more mercury pollution than others. That would create localized "hot spots" where concentrations are higher, states and environmental groups argued.
The Environmental Protection Agency said it would begin crafting a new rule limiting mercury emissions from power plants, which are the biggest source of mercury, which finds its way into the food supply. It is commonly found in high concentrations in fish. Mercury can damage developing brains of fetuses and very young children.
Representatives of the utility industry said that a new rule would further delay cleanup of mercury and cost more than the Bush proposal.
"From an environmental perspective, the thing that is a real shame about all this is, had the court left the mercury rule in place we would have had much greater mercury reductions at a lower cost," said Jeff Holmstead, head of the Environmental Strategies Group at the law firm Bracewell & Giuliani, which represents power producers.
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The order encourages federal agencies to have construction contractors enter project labor agreements. Those agreements require contractors to negotiate with union officials, recognize union wages and benefits, and abide by collective bargaining agreements. Obama's order restores a Clinton administration rule that was rescinded by President George W. Bush.
Stephen Sandherr, chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, said in a statement that the order "has the unfortunate potential to limit contractors' ability to compete for projects at a time when the government is reporting that over one million construction workers have lost their jobs" and that his group will "strongly encourage officials to exercise the discretion this order provides and avoid government-mandated labor agreements."
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The nation's largest labor federation, the AFL-CIO, along with other unions and women's and Hispanic groups, began calling and writing lawmakers yesterday, urging them to confirm the California congresswoman.
"Enough is enough," AFL-CIO president John Sweeney said, warning GOP senators "to stop obstructing and confirm Rep. Solis now."
Solis's nomination had already been delayed for nearly a month when a newspaper reported Thursday that unpaid tax liens on a California auto-repair business owned by Solis's husband were settled this week for about $6,400. That led Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to postpone a vote on her nomination.
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