EPA Requires Mercury Limit

This article shows that mercury needs to be contained - and the EPA has finished federal standards that will limit the spread of mercury--contained in coal--from being released into the atmosphere. Unfrortunately, this article doesn't really say anything, though, so I needed to dig deeper to find something of value. The EPA blog, another EPA blog, and the 1117-page document from the EPA about the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. I'll read this all later and add an update.

IMHO, the most relevant two paragraph are squeezed into the very, very bottom of the article: "Once airborne, mercury enters bodies of water through precipitation, becomes methylmercury, and accumulates in the food chain. The EPA and the FDA jointly recommend that pregnant women and young children limit their consumption of fish and shellfish to two meals a week because of the methylmercury contamination." Is anyone else disturbed that mercury--which comes from these plants--is brought via rain into the soil and bodies of water in such large quantities that our government recommends we don't eat from these bodies of water?

The metro in DC also has ads against this - and I'm sure the Sierra Club is happy with this.

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The highlighted text above has been reflected in a resource I've used many times: http://slowdeathbyrubberduck.com/USA/activism.html - Number 6.

"6. Fish in moderation: Fish is generally good for you, but levels of mercury increased by 2.5 times after the book’s authors ate tuna. Mercury is a known neurotoxin that harms the development of children. Mercury builds up in certain fish, so smaller fish are safer to eat than big fish. If you are pregnant or are planning on becoming pregnant avoid all tuna, shark, and swordfish."