PORTLAND (AP) – Maine’s two Republican senators gave life to an effort to overturn new federal rules for controlling mercury pollution when they joined Democrats on Wednesday.

Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins signed a petition that now has enough signatures to force a vote on the rules, which will help determine how much airborne mercury is allowed to drift into Maine in the years ahead.

The Maine senators and environmentalists contend that the Environmental Protection Agency was too lenient in setting standards.

“I’m very disappointed in the EPA rule,” said Collins, who signed the petition along with Snowe to force a full Senate vote. “It’s disturbing to me that EPA is proposing such a weak rule.”

Representatives of the coal-burning power plants that face the regulations say opponents are trying to derail the country’s first standards for mercury.

“It proves the old adage that no good deed towards pollution control goes unpunished,” said Frank Maisano, a lawyer representing the industry.

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