Controlling Mercury Emissions

The dense and highly toxic metallic mineral mercury enters the air of the Treasure State from the mining of ore deposits, the burning of coal, and the incineration of waste.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), coal-fired power plants are the largest source of mercury pollution in the country accounting for more than 40% of all emissions. Closer to home, coal-fired power plants reported that they were responsible for 92% of all mercury air emissions in Montana and according to EPA’s toxic release inventory data for 2004, power plants emitted over 94,500 pounds of toxic mercury nationally and 1,010 pounds in Montana.

Mercury pollution has profoundly negative implications for public health and wildlife. Although technology currently exists to dramatically reign in power plant emissions by 90%, no plants in Montana are currently employing it. Montana needs stronger rules that require all plants to reduce mercury pollution as much as possible in the shortest possible time frame.

The amount of emissions from coal-fired power plants is expected to increase in the coming years due to an estimated 26% increase in coal consumption by 2020. In Montana alone, six new coalfired power plants have been proposed (only 3 states have more proposals). These new power plants could more than double the total mercury emissions for the state.

Background

Airborne mercury emitted from coal-fired power plants returns to the earth with rain and snow, and ends up in water bodies where microorganisms convert it to methylmercury.

Methylmercury, the most toxic form of mercury, is taken up by plant and aquatic animal life, such as fish, where it bioaccumulates, meaning it increases in concentration as it moves up the food chain.

Consumption of contaminated fish is the most significant route of mercury exposure for humans, a particularly grave concern for Montana’s blue-ribbon trout streams and vibrant fishing and guiding industry.

In 2004, the EPA issued a statewide fish consumption advisory applying to 100% of Montana's lakes and streams, warning Montanans about the health impacts of eating lake trout, pike, and walleye caught from our lakes and streams.

Mercury is an extremely potent neurotoxin, with serious health effects for those exposed - especially for women of childbearing age and young children. Children exposed in the womb are at greater risk for learning disabilities such as attention deficit disorder (ADD), mental retardation, blindness, cerebral palsy, and other birth defects. Recent studies have shown a correlation between mercury exposure and heart disease in adult men as well as autism in children. In 2004, the EPA indicated that as many as one in six U.S. women has levels of mercury in her blood sufficiently high enough to pose a risk to a developing fetus.

The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to regulate toxic air emissions for chemicals like mercury. In 2000, the EPA announced that the agency would be regulating mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants in compliance with the Clean Air Act. At that time, EPA scientists reported that current technologies could achieve a 90% reduction in mercury emissions from power plants at a cost of less than 1% of industry revenues. Unfortunately the EPA has backpedaled, failing to adequately address the mercury problem. Many states have taken action into their own hands. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) is pushing to reduce mercury emissions from coal plants by 90 percent over three years. Similar measures are being discussed in Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.

The 2005 Montana Legislature killed a bill in committee that would have put Montana ahead of the curve on controlling mercury emissions. HB 455 (Paul Clark, D-Trout Creek) would have required coal-fired or biomass power plants that have not already filed for an air quality permit to control 80% of their uncontrolled mercury emissions. Existing plants would have had until 2010 to reach this target.

Recommendations for the Future

Though bills to dramatically decrease mercury pollution will likely see strenuous objections from Montana’s electric utility industry, the next legislature will have an opportunity to support legislation requiring all of Montana’s coal-fired power plants to control their mercury emissions by expeditiously installing the best technology available. Most electric utility industry lobbyists complained during the 2005 legislature that the technology was not yet available – even though in 2000, the EPA’s own scientists said current technologies could achieve a 90% reduction of mercury from power plants, and some in the industry are now becoming believers in acquiring and employing such technology.

In search of a Montana solution, 22 organizations and individuals petitioned the state Board of Environmental Review (BER) in September of 2005 to adopt a rule requiring coal-fired power plants to control 90% of their mercury emissions. The board members were receptive to the proposal, but too busy to act. Instead, the Board asked the Mont ana Depar tment of Environmental Quality to present its version of a proposed rule at the BER February 2006 meeting.

DEQ‘s subsequent proposal is a decidedly mixed bag. On the plus side it ensures that Montana’s coal-fired power plants would have to have a strong emissions reduction strategy in place by 2010. On the downside, the plan permits a controversial and possibly illegal “cap and trade system” that would allow these plants to keep polluting at dangerously high levels until 2018. Public comment and hearings will be held in the summer of 2006 to finalize the DEQ plan.