Trump's 'Clownishly Corrupt' EPA chief Scott Pruitt to roll back mercury regulations on coal-fired power plants
'The White House's mercury rollback is another reckless giveaway to the coal industry, and it will have major impacts on children's health,' reports Rolling Stone magazine. "If trashing the health and welfare of unborn children will enrich his pals in the coal industry, Trump is happy to oblige," writes Jeff Goodell in his profile of Donald Trump's "clownishly corrupt" Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, and the damage already done.
On Sunday, The New York Times reported that the administration is planning to roll back mercury regulations on coal-fired power plants. Mercury, as most people know, is one of the most toxic substances on earth. It is potentially harmful to everyone, but pregnant women and children are by far the most vulnerable.
How toxic is mercury? Consider this: In 1997, Dr. Karen Wetterhan, a researcher at Dartmouth College, accidentally spilled a single drop of dimethylmercury, a highly concentrated form often used in lab research, on her hand. She didn't worry about it - she was wearing latex gloves. She washed the mercury off immediately and didn't think about it again until five months later, when she began bumping into walls and slurring her words. Her doctors were not able to diagnose what was wrong, then she told them about the drop of mercury. They did a blood test: mercury poisoning. A few months later, Dr. Wetterhan was dead.
Another great related piece in today's Rolling Stone, online:
"Why Aren't We Talking More About Trump's Nihilism?", Matt Taibbi asks.
"The White House now says we might as well pollute because global catastrophe is inevitable."