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.