Environmentalists sue EPA over mercury issue

Feb. 20 -- The environmental law firm Earthjustice has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for not taking additional steps to reduce mercury emissions from cement kilns.

Earthjustice, on behalf of the Sierra Club and five other environmental advocacy groups, filed the lawsuit Feb. 16 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

A federal court in December 2000 ordered the EPA to set standards for mercury emissions from cement kilns. However, the environmental groups in their lawsuit claim the agency so far has only completed minimal housekeeping requirements that will have no significant impact on mercury emissions.

The EPA in December 2006 issued new mercury emission limits for all cement kilns built after Dec. 2, 2005. The agency estimated the change would reduce annual mercury emissions by about one ton. Meanwhile, kilns built before Dec. 2, 2005, must adhere to procedures designed to minimize emissions, according to the EPA.