Recorded presentation

Lynn Goldman, MD, MPH, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Room 8511, Baltimore, MD 21205, 410-614-9301, lgoldman@jhsph.edu

In a December 2003 EPA regulation proposal, mercury, one of the most toxic forms of pollution and a known public health threat, was not regulated as strictly as EPA’s technical staff originally recommended. Although the Administration is a strong proponent of “sound science” they have ignored the science in crafting the proposal for mercury standards for power plants. This talk will explore the scientific basis for a conclusion that mercury is a hazardous air pollutant, including the results of EPA’s own research and a review by the National Research Council, and analyze why it is that EPA proposed mercury not be listed as a hazardous air pollutant. Dr. Goldman will address the impacts of EPA’s proposed regulation, as compared with the draft regulation that was prepared by EPA’s technical staff. By comparison, the proposed rule would retard progress on protecting the brains of a generation of children by proposing reductions that are too modest, over too long of a time frame. It ignores EPA’s own data regarding the likelihood of “hot spots” of mercury and instead would allow trading (with a high enough cap that hot spots would be created). This is clearly an example of how corporate influence has come to trump public health and science considerations in decision making, for an issue of great importance to the health of our children.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the hazardous health implications of mercury air emissions.
• Identify the public health impacts of EPA’s proposed regulation versus a draft regulation by EPA’s technical staff.
• Describe the impact of bias and politics in the development of public policy.

Keywords: Environmental Health, Public Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation