In 2011, the Obama administration implemented MATS, short for Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, to protect vulnerable populations including children and pregnant women from mercury pollution.

According to the World Health Organization, “Mercury may have toxic effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems… It is considered one of the top ten chemicals or groups of chemicals of major public health concern.”

Unfortunately, Trump’s EPA recently wrongly concluded that there is an imbalance between the costs on industry to comply with the standards versus the benefits to our safety and environment, even though major players within the energy industry do not support rolling back these protections.

The current acting administrator of the EPA, former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler, is now taking action to rollback these protections and put our environment and our health at risk.

As a student intern with Defend Our Future, an environmental group at Ohio State University, we are asking all Ohioans to take action by calling your senators, Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown, and let them know that you do not support the rollback of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. This is our chance to use our voices and stand up for our lives and our future. Join me.

 

Jacklyn Debald, Columbus