Bill Text: AZ HCM2003 | 2024 | Fifty-sixth Legislature 2nd Regular | Introduced
Bill Title: Manganese; criteria pollutant; urging EPA
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 25-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-06 - House read second time [HCM2003 Detail]
Download: Arizona-2024-HCM2003-Introduced.html
|
REFERENCE TITLE: manganese; criteria pollutant; urging EPA |
|
State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session 2024
|
|
HCM 2003 |
|
|
|
Introduced by Representatives Stahl Hamilton: Aguilar, Austin, Blattman, Contreras L, Contreras P, Crews, De Los Santos, Gutierrez, Hernandez A, Hernandez C, Hernandez L, Mathis, Ortiz, Pawlik, Peshlakai, Quiñonez, Sandoval, Schwiebert, Seaman, Shah, Terech, Travers, Tsosie, Villegas
|
A Concurrent Memorial
urging the administrator of the United States environmental protection agency to include manganese as a criteria pollutant.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
To the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency:
Your memorialist respectfully represents:
Whereas, the Hermosa mine located in the Patagonia mountains is a proposed zinc, silver and manganese mine that has been designated for inclusion in the federal FAST-41 program; and
Whereas, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the most common health problems in workers who are exposed to high levels of manganese involve the nervous system; and
Whereas, according to the ATSDR, the inhalation of a large quantity of dust or fumes containing manganese may cause irritation of the lungs, which could lead to pneumonia; and
Whereas, workers in manganese mines are known to have experienced memory loss, slurred speech and other physical impairments tied to ingesting the mineral's fine dust; and
Whereas, when sufficiently severe, this combination of symptoms is referred to as "manganism"; and
Whereas, manganese is a primary component of electric vehicle batteries, which are key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector; and
Whereas, according to the United States Geological Survey, the United States has been totally reliant on imports of manganese for many decades, importing the bulk of the manganese needed for domestic electric vehicle battery manufacturing from China and South Africa; and
Whereas, global demand from the battery sector is expected to increase ninefold over the next decade as electric vehicle suppliers use high-purity manganese to increase battery efficiency and reduce combustibility; and
Whereas, under section 112 of the Clean Air Act, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to develop technology-based standards for hazardous air pollutants, including manganese, that are emitted by industrial sources; and
Whereas, the Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set national ambient air quality standards for six principal pollutants, called "criteria pollutants," that are common in outdoor air, considered harmful to public health and the environment, and come from numerous and diverse sources.
Wherefore, your memorialist, the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring, prays:
1. That the United States Environmental Protection Agency include manganese as a criteria pollutant under the national ambient air quality standards to mitigate the public health impacts of manganese mining.
2. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit copies of this Memorial to the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
