India RPCV Carl Pope says The Bush administration is still pushing the same misguided mercury plan it has been trying to sell to Americans, unsuccessfully, for nearly a year now.



India RPCV Carl Pope says The Bush administration is still pushing the same misguided mercury plan it has been trying to sell to Americans, unsuccessfully, for nearly a year now.

Mercury: Sierra Club's Statement About Bush Administration's Latest Mercury Announcement


WASHINGTON - August 10 - Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club's Executive Director

"The Bush administration is still pushing the same misguided mercury plan it has been trying to sell to Americans, unsuccessfully, for nearly a year now. The plan puts off protecting communities from mercury pollution for more than a decade. Right now, the technology exists that would put America on the road to reducing mercury pollution from power plants by 90% everywhere. Instead, the Bush administration continues pushing for a pollution trading scheme that favors corporate polluters and could lead to local 'hot spots,' communities where mercury contamination is greater.

"Earlier this year, more than half a million Americans -- a record number -- sent public comments to the Environmental Protection Agency to demand that the Bush administration clean up toxic mercury pollution. While we look forward to any additional information about the impacts of the administration's plan, it's too little, too late. Americans won't be fooled again -- if the Bush administration simply enforced the existing Clean Air Act, we'd be on the road to getting mercury out of America's lakes and rivers and off our dinner tables."

This Month's Issue: August 2004 Teresa Heinz Kerry celebrates the Peace Corps Volunteer as one of the best faces America has ever projected in a speech to the Democratic Convention. The National Review disagreed and said that Heinz's celebration of the PCV was "truly offensive." What's your opinion and who can come up with the funniest caption for our Current Events Funny? Exclusive: Director Vasquez speaks out in an op-ed published exclusively on the web by Peace Corps Online saying the Dayton Daily News' portrayal of Peace Corps "doesn't jibe with facts." In other news, the NPCA makes the case for improving governance and explains the challenges facing the organization, RPCV Bob Shaconis says Peace Corps has been a "sacred cow", RPCV Shaun McNally picks up support for his Aug 10 primary and has a plan to win in Connecticut, and the movie "Open Water" based on the negligent deaths of two RPCVs in Australia opens August 6. Op-ed's by RPCVs: Cops of the World is not a good goal and Peace Corps must emphasize community development.