Most Power Plants still spewing toxic mercury, report says

[ensho]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/03/17/90576/report-mercury-pollution-from.html



Many of America's coal-fired power plants lack widely available pollution controls for the highly toxic metal mercury, and mercury emissions recently increased at more than half of the country's 50 largest mercury-emitting power plants, according to a report Wednesday.

The nonpartisan Environmental Integrity Project reported that five of the 10 plants with the highest amount of mercury emitted are in Texas. Plants in Georgia, Missouri, Alabama, Pennsylvania and Michigan also are in the top 10.

-snip-


Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of mercury pollution, generating more than 40 percent of U.S. emissions. Mercury released into the air settles in rivers and lakes, where it moves through the food chain to the fish that people eat.

Mercury exposure can harm the brain development of infants and children. Each year more than 300,000 babies may have an increased risk of learning disabilities as a result of exposure to mercury before birth, the report said.

"Even though the technology exists today to dramatically reduce the mercury pollution, the U.S. power industry has delayed cleanup and barely made a dent in the power plant emissions," said Ilan Levin, an attorney with the Environmental Integrity Project, a nonprofit organization that promotes stronger enforcement of anti-pollution laws.
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mercury in the brains of Texans

hhmmmmm

there is a map

[ensho]

1. kicking back to pg. 1 as this is very important news

and the thread left pg. 1 way too fast

[happy_liberal]

3. extremely important news- why is everyone ignoring this

We need to raise awareness about this. With all the money wasted by our federal government, I don't care if they give the companies the money for this...just get the damn technology to prevent this :grr:


Everyone talking about health care....these are the things we need to take care of to prevent health problems in the first place duh!!!!!

[happy_liberal]

5. Thank you for posting this!

:hi:
(even as angry as it has made me :grr:)

How can people go on about health care and not see that prevention is the key?

How many illness are caused by this besides the obvious mental problems, cancer, asthma and other breathing disorders?

There was a recent study that found heart disease was increased by freeways because of pollution.

[happy_liberal]

2. the technology is there to easily prevent this but they do it anyway

:grr:

But they want us all to change our lightbulbs to save the planet, and tax us for energy use?

There is nothing we can do as individuals to help the planet as long as this continues. It is so absurd that with all the talk of global warming this kind of pollution is still happening.

Whether or not global warming is occuring, we do know this crap is happening and it ain't good. This is the issue both right and left could agree on, let's stop the pollution. (This will decrease global warming but they don't need to know that)

Meanwhile rates of Asthma increase steadily, autism and learning disorders increasing...:grr:

[happy_liberal]

4. And they want to build more!!! And they want us to trust them to build more nuclear plants!!!!

:grr: :grr: :grr:







"Each year more than 300,000 babies may have an increased risk of learning disabilities as a result of exposure to mercury before birth, the report said."