RFK, Jr. fought mercury pollution for years, but he is now in an administration that wants to make it easier for industries to dump it into the air and water
RFK, Jr., Once Poisoned by Mercury, Is Silent as EPA Weakens Rules against It CLIMATEWIRE | The last time President Donald Trump tried to roll back a mercury regulation, he faced a high-profile opponent: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy railed against EPA at an August 2017 public hearing for going along with the Trump administration's demands to repeal wastewater limits. He warned that allowing more power plant pollution to enter waterways would poison people through mercury-contaminated fish — a problem he experienced personally after a period of eating tuna. "It is really troublesome for those of us who will suffer from your irresponsibility," Kennedy said at the time. "The law says the waterways of this country, the fisheries of this country, belong to the people." On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. Eight years later, Kennedy has been silent as the Trump administration is again rolling back those same mercury regulations, along with at least a dozen other pollution controls announced last week in what EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has called the agency's "biggest deregulatory action in U.S. history." Before Kennedy was confirmed in January to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, he ran a presidential campaign on the promise to "make America healthy again," in part through getting toxic chemicals out of the nation's food. Then, during his confirmation hearing two months ago, Kennedy touted his experience with fighting mercury pollution as an environmental attorney and as the founder of Waterkeeper, an environmental group. "The same chemicals that kill fish make people sick," Kennedy said at the January hearing. Kennedy didn't respond to requests for comment or questions about whether he still believes mercury…