EPA proposes higher mercury emissions for chlorine plants

A federal agency is proposing a new emissions standard for companies that make chlorine using mercury.

The new standard would release more mercury into the air.

Olin Corporation in Augusta uses mercury in its chlorine production. It's one of five in the nation that still do.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to raise the percentage of mercury, called fugitive emissions, it allows companies to release into the air from the cell room where the chlorine is produced.

The EPA's maximum limit for fugitive emissions is basically a trigger point for companies to wash down the cell room, to prevent further emissions release. That trigger point would be higher under the proposed rule.

The agency says that allowing the higher rate of emissions would ironically give companies less time "chasing alarms," as the EPA put it, and more time for maintenance activities.

And, the EPA would require companies to implement a more accurate system to monitor the emissions.

Mercury can be toxic, especially to children and fetuses.

"It's another demonstration of the EPA allowing Olin to continue to pollute the Augusta area," says Tonya Bonitatibus, a field representative for the environmental watchdog group Oceana. She says the group is still studying the proposed rule but opposes the higher emissions.

David Blair, the plant manager at Olin in Augusta, declined to comment on the proposed rule, but did respond to the emissions issue in a written statement. "We've invested millions of dollars in technology and workplace practices during recent years," he said. "We already have in place a system that continuously monitors emissions at the cell room."

Blair said the company had reduced its emissions by more than 85 percent by 2007.

Spotlight on chlorine plant's mercury emissions

A Georgia chlorine plant is on an environmental group’s list of worst mercury polluters. Washington-based Oceana says Olin Corporation’s Augusta plant gives off more mercury than coal-fire power plants. The group works to stop seafood contamination. However, Olin says the company meets all regulations on mercury emissions.