Letter: EPA inconsistent on mercury

Newsday once again in its editorial of Dec. 26 cannot help but take a parting shot at a tea party-influenced House, while praising what is obviously a failed presidency under Barack Obama ["Limits on mercury will help clear air," Dec. 26].

The latest example is this endorsement of yet more Environmental Protection Agency regulations, this time on mercury output, without even a mention of the concern many -- if not most -- people in the country have about big government using agencies like the EPA to overreach and redistribute wealth in accordance with the progressive doctrine.

Tell me, if the federal government is so concerned about the health of its citizens that millions of dollars must be spent by U.S. corporations to comply with new regulations to eliminate mercury from our environment, why does this same government have no interest in scrapping regulations put into place by the previous administration that will soon require that incandescent light bulbs be replaced in favor of one of several options, including "environmentally friendly" compact fluorescent bulbs? They contain mercury, and in accordance with EPA regulations would seem to require a hazmat cleanup should one break in your home.

Mike Quadrino, Smithtown