Washington, D.C. – November 25, 2014 – The U.S. Supreme Court today announced that it will review protections issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency against mercury and other air toxins from coal- and oil-fired power plants, to consider how much weight the EPA should have given industry's costs of compliance.
Sierra Club was among the public health, civil rights, and environmental groups who joined EPA in defending EPA's Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, or MATS, against industry’s challenges in the Court of Appeals. In April, that Court upheld the Standards. Arguments in this case are expected this spring with a decision due in the summer.
In response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, Mary Anne Hitt, Sierra Club Beyond Coal Director issued the following statement:
“Mercury, arsenic, and acid gases from coal-fired power plants endanger our children and are dangerous to our communities – the rule is expected to prevent up to 11,000 premature deaths and more than 100,000 cases of asthma each year. EPA estimated that the standards would give the public $90 billion worth of health benefits in 2016 – nine dollars in benefits for every dollar spent by industry.
“The dirty fuel industry’s claim that the Rule costs them too much requires the Court to ignore the vast majority of those benefits. The fact is, coal plants across the nation have been working toward complying with this common-sense standard since it was issued in 2012, resulting in cleaner air for millions of Americans. Turning back the clock on that progress makes no sense, and would deal a huge blow to public health.
“EPA, in setting the standard, and the D.C. Circuit, in upholding them, decided to protect the health of people, rather than the pockets of polluters. We will continue to vigorously support the standards, and public health, in the Supreme Court.”
Legal briefs can be found here.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 2.4 million members and supporters nationwide. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org.