Mercury rising: A disturbing report calls for action on Pa. plants
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Among Pennsylvania's dubious distinctions, here is one of the most disturbing: Mercury emissions from three coal-fired power plants in the state are among the top 10 in the nation -- and all three plants sit in southwestern Pennsylvania.
So says a new report from PennEnvironment, which used 2009 federal emissions data to rank power plants. As the Post-Gazette's Don Hopey wrote in a front-page story Wednesday, the report also details the widespread health risks associated with mercury in the environment, which affect not only humans but also other animals.
This is our home, this is where we raise our children and this should be our first concern: According to the Environmental Protection Agency, one in six U.S. women of childbearing age has enough mercury in her bloodstream to put her unborn child at risk for the health effects of mercury pollution, which include learning disabilities and developmental disorders.
This region has more to fear than most. The Keystone coal-fired power plant in Armstrong County is the second-biggest mercury emitter in the nation, the Conemaugh power plant in southern Indiana County ranks fourth, the Cambria Cogen Co. power plant in Cambria County ranks eighth. Only Texas, which leads the nation in mercury emissions from power plants, has more plants than Pennsylvania among the top 10 mercury polluters.
In March, the EPA will release standards to curb mercury and other toxic pollutants in the atmosphere, a move resisted by industry. In an era when resurgent conservatives in Congress are seeking to curb the powers of the EPA itself, and even the Obama administration is calling for less onerous regulation, the real boosters of Pennsylvania should insist that the new rules be tough.
First Published January 27, 2011 12:00 am
