Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced on Mar. 31 that she has joined a coalition of 18 states in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s repeal of existing standards for mercury and other toxic pollutants released by power plants.
The legal action argues that the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to revoke these standards puts public health at risk, especially for children and pregnant women. Mercury is known to be a potent neurotoxin with serious health consequences, including developmental harms in children and increased risks of cardiovascular disease and other disorders in adults.
“Every time you look, the Trump Administration is taking us backwards, and this time, the issue is about the amount of mercury and other toxics we allow into the air and our water,” said Attorney General Davenport. “Ideological whims should never be allowed to overrule protecting the health of our children.”
The lawsuit claims that last month’s EPA action will permit more dangerous emissions such as arsenic, lead, and formaldehyde from power plants into the environment. The attorneys general involved argue that this repeal lacks sufficient justification from EPA officials and does not take into account advances in pollution control technologies. They are asking the court to declare the rule unlawful.
Mercury exposure remains an ongoing concern in New Jersey; a study from 2001 found approximately 13% of pregnant women in New Jersey had unsafe levels of mercury. As a result, New Jersey was among the first states to regulate mercury discharges from water bodies and power plants.
According to the official website, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin aims to protect residents’ lives and property through statewide enforcement, law oversight, legal representation, crime lab support, victim advocacy programs, consumer protection initiatives, regulation of public safety matters under its statutory mandate across all counties and municipalities. The agency functions as a state entity focused on justice by providing oversight throughout New Jersey according to its official description.
Davenport was joined by attorneys general from Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont Washington Wisconsin; Harris County Texas; Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul; Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison co-led this coalition.
