Senator Collins was the first Republican to sign on to a Joint Resolution of Disapproval and discharge petition led by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT.) The Leahy-Collins Resolution of Disapproval was filed in June under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which gives Congress the ability to repeal rules proposed by federal agencies.
At issue are the EPA's proposed regulations regarding mercury and the amount of the toxin that can be legally emitted by power plants. The EPA's rule, which was issued earlier this year, removed mercury emissions from power plants from the list of toxic pollutants under that Clean Air Act, therefore, enabling the EPA to devise a more lenient cap and trade mercury program.
"There is overwhelming and undisputable scientific evidence that the EPA's mercury rule is flawed and should be overturned. Mercury is a toxin that is extremely harmful to children and pregnant women, in particular. Maine's waterways are threatened by emissions from power plants located in other states, yet the EPA's rule does little to address this serious problem," said Senator Collins. "That is why I will continue pursuing legislative remedies to correct this flawed rule."
The Jeffords-Collins-Lieberman Clean Power Act calls for a sevenfold reduction in mercury emissions compared to the EPA's rule. The bipartisan legislation requires power plants to significantly reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and mercury. The pollutants cause death, disease, ecological degradation, birth defects, and increase the risk of abrupt and unwelcome climate changes.
###