I was outraged to learn last week that some powerful politicians and lobbyists are gearing up to make it easier for polluters to poison our air. Do they really think this is a fight they can win?

Mother love is fierce. All moms know one thing: having a child cracks your heart wide open. We’ll do everything we can to keep our babies safe. But what about the things we can’t control? Basic things, like the air our children breathe.  We depend on government regulations to keep the air clean.  No one else can do it.

Big polluters have just announced their first battle: the toxic mercury spewed into the air by cement and coal-burning power plants.  The Environmental Protection Agency wants that mercury regulated--for good reason. The polluters want to keep the poisons coming.

Mercury is really terrible stuff.  It is a neurotoxin; it harms young, developing brains. As the American Academy of Pediatrics notes, “mercury in all of its forms is toxic to the fetus and children, and efforts should be made to reduce exposure to the extent possible to pregnant women and children as well as the general population.”http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/pediatrics;108/1/197.pdf

The EPA is asking cement plants to eliminate 16,400 pounds of mercury emissions. EPA rules would also cut 5,200 tons of other hazardous air pollutants, along with 5,900 tons of acid gases.

Cement plants have ducked regulations for years. It is time for that to stop. Of course pollution control costs money. But it saves even more money, by protecting the public’s health. Ever since the EPA began regulating pollution in 1970, under the Clean Air Act signed by President Richard Nixon, our air has gotten healthier--and our economy has gotten healthier, too.http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/e77fdd4f5afd88a3852576b3005a604f/ef62ba1cb3c8079b8525777a005af9a5!OpenDocument

Those big polluters have spent decades making exaggerated claims that regulations would hurt them. Time and again, such claims have been proven wrong.  In fact, cleaning up the air actually creates jobs.

Let’s keep one thing straight: Air pollution isn’t just dirty. It is poisonous. Just because we don’t see toxic emissions doesn’t mean they aren’t hurting us--and our children.

Here’s the worst news of all: Polluters have declared war against the Clean Air Act. This fight to allow cement plants to spew mercury is only the beginning. Let’s make it clear that mothers will not tolerate poisoned air. Send a letter directly to your Congressional representatives by clicking here, and telling them the polluters can’t get away with this--and neither can they.

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Here is the text of the alert:

As a mom, I know that every attempt to roll back pollution protection is an attack on my kids’ health.  Air pollution isn’t just dirty. It is poisonous. I want my children to have clean air to breathe, pure water to drink, and safe food to eat.  I’m outraged that some in Congress are trying to undo new regulations that would reduce emissions of mercury and other poisons from cement plants.  For the sake of my kids’ health – and the sake of kids across the country – I’m asking you to vigorously oppose this misguided bill, and all other attempts to undercut pollution protections.