Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did not properly weigh the costs and benefits of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) it issued in 2012.  Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that is emitted from coal power plants that eventually enters waters through precipitation. The rule would have required mercury to be removed from power plant emissions using existing and affordable technology.

Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation said today:
"Today’s Supreme Court decision to require the EPA to re-evaluate the benefits and costs of the MATS rule is a temporary setback for wildlife, but one that can and should be quickly remedied by the EPA. The facts are plain that the benefits of removing poisonous mercury pollution clearly outweigh the costs of pollution controls. As a neurotoxin, mercury is a huge threat to wildlife and has left too many of our nation’s fish unsafe to eat. Reducing toxic mercury pollution will move us one step closer towards ensuring that kids can safely eat the fish they catch and protect waterfowl, like loons in the Adirondacks, that too often suffer from high levels of toxics and heavy metals. We encourage the EPA to move quickly to get this rule back on track and to issue a strong Clean Power Plan, which will remove even more mercury from the waters our fish and wildlife depend on."