Mercury, The Silent Killer

                          Every year in the U.S. , coal power plants release about 52 tons of mercury into the atmosphere.  In fact, power plants are the number one source of mercury emissions.  There are no requirements for power plants to control mercury emissions to this date.   Furthermore, there is essentially no technology to reduce mercury emissions, as no regulation has ever been issued to create demand for it. 

          Mercury is a potent toxin that naturally occurs in coal deposits.  When coal is burned, the mercury is released through smokestacks and then falls with rainwater into rivers, ponds, lakes, and streams.  One drop of mercury can contaminate a 25-acre lake to the point where fish are unsafe to consume.

          Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal that can cause serious damage in unborn fetuses, infants, and children. It effects the developing nervous system causing delayed mental development, learning disabilities, problems with motor function, attention and memory.  Mercury can also cause brain, lung, and kidney damage, and even death in humans and animals.

          Mercury, which will never degrade in the environment, accumulates in sediment, fish and animals over decades, making it nearly impossible to clean up - an excellent reason to prevent its release in the first place, say environmentalists.