News Categories
Resources For Living
Mesothelioma Forum
Legal Help Blog
Find a Doctor Near You
About Mesothelioma
Latest News
- NIH Award Recipient to Focus on Innovative Cancer ...
- Leading Mesothelioma Researcher Now Leads the Canc...
- $2.25 Million Awarded in Mesothelioma Death
- U.S. and China Companies Join Forces in Manufactur...
- Clinical Trial Spotlight: Pemetrexed (ALIMTA) Plu...
- Wake Forest School of Medicine and FirstHealth of ...
- Mesothelioma Patients Eligible for Air Transportat...
- Mesothelioma Awareness Day Proposed as National Ev...
- Tougher Toxic Chemical Legislation Being Considere...
- Texas Cancer Center Offers Hope to Mesothelioma Pa...
News Archives
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- November 2007
- December 2007
- January 2008
- February 2008
- March 2008
- April 2008
- May 2008
- June 2008
- July 2008
- August 2008
- September 2008
- October 2008
- November 2008
- December 2008
- January 2009
- February 2009
- March 2009
- April 2009
- May 2009
- June 2009
- July 2009
- August 2009
- September 2009
- October 2009
- November 2009
- December 2009
- January 2010
- February 2010
- March 2010
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Power plant workers can breathe easier now that the Environmental Protection Agency issued a consent decree to allow for the passage of new rules aimed at reducing toxic emissions of soot, mercury, and other chemicals from coal-fired and oil-burning power plants.The EPA was sued by a coalition of public health and environmental groups claiming that the EPA failed to meet the deadline for issuing regulations controlling toxic air pollution from power plants as per the Clean Air Act of 1990. The agency plans to adopt this new set of rules by November 2011.
Power plants utilized asbestos as an insulation material and some of the workers have since developed malignant mesothelioma, a serious cancer caused by asbestos that attacks the lining of the lungs and has no known cure. While it is unclear if any plants continue to use asbestos containing materials, the new rules may help lower the risk of asbestos exposure.
Mercury emissions and soot pollution were the primary focus of the lawsuit. The pollution from the chemicals can cause respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis and have also been known to contribute to heart attacks and stroke.
Labels: asbestos, mesothelioma
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
