Coal plants in Illinois putting more mercury into the air, study shows

While mercury pollution has declined overall nationally, the amount of mercury released into the air by coal-fired power plants has increased in 28 states, including Illinois, according to a published report.

Mercury released from power plants increased 4 percent from 2003 to 2004, while total mercury emissions decreased less than 2 percent, the Chicago Tribune reported in Saturday's editions, analyzing newly released federal data.

In Illinois, which depends heavily on coal to generate electricity, 4,177 pounds of mercury were released during 2004 - a 1 percent increase from the previous year and sixth-most nationally.

Texas had the most power plant emissions, with 10,814 pounds of mercury released - a 19 percent increase over 2003. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Alabama and Indiana rounded out the top five.

Environmental groups say the increase should concern people who live near plants because mercury tends to fall back to earth close to its source. Mercury enters lakes and streams through rain and snow, where it concentrates in fish. Humans, especially women of childbearing age, pregnant women and young children, are at the greatest risk of damage to the nervous system.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued in March 2005 the Clean Air Mercury Rule, which places a limit on allowable pollution for each state starting in 2010. But the rule lets companies buy pollution allowances from other plants that are well under the allowable limits - also known as a "cap and trade" system.

"We feel the flexibility of a cap and trade system is the best approach," said Jason Burnett, a senior policy adviser in the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. "It will allow companies to respond to changing economic conditions within a certain limit."

Gov. Rod Blagojevich and other officials in a handful of states are pushing emission control plans that would be tougher than the one proposed by the EPA. His proposal would require utilities to reduce emissions at all facilities by an average of 90 percent in three years. Each individual plant would have to cut emissions by at least 75 percent by 2009 and 90 percent by Dec. 31, 2012.

Utility officials warn that Blagojevich's plan could have dire economic consequences for Illinois' power industry and result in higher power costs for consumers. In Illinois, most plants have moved away from coal mined here to coal from Western states, which is cheaper and contains lower sulfur amounts - helping reduce sulfur dioxide pollution.

But Western coal often contains more mercury and generates less heat, meaning more of it has to be burned.

The overall decline in airborne mercury was due mostly to a large drop in emissions from cement kilns, EPA officials said.

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