EPA Proposes Nation's First Emissions Standards for Power Plants

This is long over-due, no?

Earlier this week the EPA proposed the first national standards for the emissions of mercury and other pollutants from coal-burning power plants. This rule could lead to the early closing of a number of power plants (this is probably a good thing!).

My question is "why did this take so long?!"

As the EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson, put it "[t]oday's announcement is 20 years in the making..."