< P > < FONT face = Verdana > Michigan and eight other States sued the Bush administration on February 20, saying the White House failed to adequately regulate emissions of mercury and other pollutants from cement plants. < P > < FONT face = Verdana > The nine States claim that a regulation issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in December does not comply with the federal Clean Air Act. < P > < FONT face = Verdana > Mercury (mercury) comes from the raw materials for cement production (such as limestone, clay, sand and iron ore), fuel (coal), which are mixed and calcined in a high-temperature kiln. < P > < FONT face = Verdana > Last December, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced new restrictions on mercury and hydrocarbon emissions from cement kilns built after December 2, 2005. < P > < FONT face = Verdana > However, for the cement kilns built in the early stage, the US Environmental Protection Agency has only adopted fewer restrictions, for example, the kilns in the production period cannot be fully burned, and the kilns are out of repair for a long time and cannot be used for dust collection. < P > < FONT face = Verdana > Critics say the Clean Air Act requires the EPA to limit mercury pollution from all kilns, not just new ones. < P > < FONT face = Verdana > Several environmental groups filed separate indictments with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia last week. The other eight States are Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. < P > < FONT face = Verdana > EPA spokesman John Millett said the matter was pending and declined further comment. < P > < FONT face = Verdana > The Bureau says mercury emissions to the air have been reduced by 45% since 1990. The 118 state-owned cement plants are estimated to emit 12,000 pounds of mercury a year. Although some state regulators say the actual emissions are higher.
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