EPA's Mercury Cap and Trade Rule: An Environmental Injustice for Women

Authors

Rachel Kalman, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

Abstract

The note critiques the EPA's Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR), arguing that it prioritizes economic interests over public health, particularly harming women of childbearing age and vulnerable populations. The rule's reliance on a cap and trade system, delayed implementation, and flawed risk assessment models underestimate mercury exposure risks, disproportionately affecting subsistence communities and low-income groups. The analysis advocates for stricter emissions standards under the Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) framework and greater consideration of gender-specific health impacts in regulatory decisions.

Disciplines

Environmental Law | Law | Law and Gender | Oil, Gas, and Mineral Law

Recommended Citation

Rachel Kalman, EPA's Mercury Cap and Trade Rule: An Environmental Injustice for Women, 13 Cardozo J. Equal Rts. & Soc. Just. 111 (2006).
Available at: https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cardozoersj/vol13/iss1/8