We don’t usually concern ourselves about the impact different agencies have on our lives especially if they produce jobs in the community. We just speculate and conclude- the government has researched any negativity surrounding a venture and believes it to be safe. That is why we have new respect and confidence for the Environmental Protection Agency; it is in place to provide safeguards to the environment and for the people of this country. Upon hearing a couple of GOP candidates running for president say they would shut the doors of the EPA because this agency is costing the nation valuable jobs it caused me to be interested in the responsibilities of this agency.
The EPA unveiled the first national requirements for the nation’s coal-fired power plants to reduce emissions of mercury, arsenic, cyanide and other toxic pollutants. This ruling of the EPA has taken more than 20 years to finally be complete. When we know better, we should do better. About 60% of the nations plants are in compliance. The rest are a major source of pollutions, especially mercury emissions. Mercury harms the nervous system of unborn and very young children-reducing their ability to think and learn as they grow up. The other pollutants mentioned are considered carcinogenic. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the new requirements will prevent as many as 11,000 deaths, 4,700 heart attacks and 130,000 cases of childhood asthma each year.
Lawmakers from coal producing states and manufacturing states are fighting the EPA to weaken the legislation. The EPA said that compliance to these requirements will cost companies about $9.6 billion but the benefits to human health would outweigh the cost 9 to 1. The Lexington-Herald Leader newspaper stated that the Kentucky Utilities is asking for permission to spend as much as $800 million to build natural gas fired power generators to replace older coal-fired units. The EPA’s regulations will benefit the people and the environment and KU’s compliance and proposal to use natural gas is welcomed.
Big oil companies, politicians and the EPA are in constant battle over permits to drill in Alaska. We know that new found oil will reduce our need for foreign oil. The President stopped issuing permits after the BP explosion killed 11 workers and caused the largest oil spill in this country’s history. No one can put the ecosystem back or put a price on the cost to the environment. It should not be a political football. We have seen what happened in the Gulf because of greed. We discovered they had no well developed plan when the catastrophe happened. In an newspaper article by Jonathan Fahey, it stated.
“By early 2012, there will be 40 deep water rigs in the gulf, up from 37 before the BP spill, according to Cinnamon Odell of ODS-Petrodata. BP received its first permit to drill in late October.”
The Environmental Protection Agency is a buffer between the greed of oil magnets and politicians and the need of the people. The EPA protects our health and protects the environment. They should not be demonized because nobody had a viable remedy when the BP oil spill occurred.