Washington Observer.

GOP leaders of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee want to resuscitate a White House-backed bill to cut power plant emissions. The new bill requires trimming nationwide mercury emissions by 34 tons a year, up from the earlier version's 26-ton cut. Lawmakers say it is based on updated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data and could mean changes in a coming EPA mercury emissions plan. The House passed legislation November 7 that could prevent Federal Prison Industries, a government-owned corporation that uses federal prisoners as workers, from what critics charge is monopolizing some A/E services to federal agencies.