by Alexei Laushkin
The EPA's rule making process on cleaning up toxic mercury pollution has been going on for over a decade. After a court decision in 2008 finally forced EPA to step up its efforts to clean up mercury, it took EPA another 3 years to get to the point of releasing a new mercury standard which will impact coal power plants built in the 1940s-1960s, most of which have no active pollution controls.
Meanwhile the percentage of babies born with too high level of mercury in their blood has gone up! As of today up to 1 in 6 children are born with too high levels of mercury in their blood. This toxin is especially dangerous in the first trimester of development and it can have a devastating impact on brain development. A majority of the domestic mercury comes from coal fired power plants. Mercury is a cumulative toxin, so the longer we wait to clean up mercury the worse of an impact it will continue to have on the unborn.
Within recent weeks evangelical leaders and pastors are saying we've had enough of waiting to clean up the mess. Evangelicals have launched a major multi-state radio ad campaign asking pro-life members of Congress to stop trying to gut EPA regulations on mercury pollution and instead uphold and act on their pro-life principles. As part of this effort, leaders have focused on Reps. Ed Whitfield (KY-1), Fred Upton (MI-6) and Joe Barton (TX-6) because of their efforts to remove restrictions intended to prevent mercury poisoning in the unborn. You can listen to these ads at creationcare.org/mercury.
In the ads, Rev. Tracey Bianchi, a mother, describes the dangerous effects of mercury poisoning on the unborn, including permanent brain damage and developmental challenges. "I believe that every life is a precious gift from God," says Rev. Bianchi in the ad. "And I expect members of Congress who are pro-life to use their power to protect life, especially the unborn."
In addition to the radio ads, a letter signed by pro-life evangelical leaders and another by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was hand delivered to members of the Congressional Pro-Life Committee. These letters follow on a previously issued statement, An Evangelical Call to Stop the Mercury Poisoning of the Unborn, signed by over 100 evangelical pastors and leaders. You can view their statement and resources at mercuryandtheunborn.org.
In the letters, the leaders state, "We understand mercury poisoning to be a pro-life issue . . . We are asking Congress to stop playing games with the health of America's unborn children by supporting the EPA's March 16, 2011 proposed regulation known as the 'Utility MACT rule.'"
When will we wake up and say enough is enough, stop playing politics with the unborn.
