Most States Are Satisfied with Federal Mercury Standard

By ACSH Staff — Feb 01, 2007
A February 2007 article by Heartland Institute's James Hoare notes the position of ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross on mercury emissions from power plants: "There is a great deal of science that undermines the assertion that mercury is harming human health," said Dr. Gilbert Ross, medical director for the American Council on Science and Health.

A February 2007 article by Heartland Institute's James Hoare notes the position of ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross on mercury emissions from power plants:

"There is a great deal of science that undermines the assertion that mercury is harming human health," said Dr. Gilbert Ross, medical director for the American Council on Science and Health.

"The American populace is exposed to very little environmental mercury," Ross noted, "and the chances of mercury health harms are quite remote. Individual states taking action against mercury are merely a public relations move that will have absolutely no effect on public health."

Restricting U.S. power plant emissions would have little impact on environmental mercury levels anyway, Ross said.

"Most of our environmental mercury comes from other nations, mostly China and the Pacific Rim. Power plant-generated mercury emissions in the U.S. are quite minute by comparison," said Ross.

See also: ACSH's report Regulating Mercury Emissions from Power Plants.