Mercury Pollution From Coal Power Plants

The Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding land are currently contaminated with mercury from industrial sources, primarily coal-fired power plants. These mercury emissions have been linked to severe developmental disorders, which can occur during prenatal development. Coal-fired power plants account for up to 48 tons of mercury emissions per year in the United States. In 1990, mercury regulations were mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency, which deemed that the regulation of mercury for coal-fired power plants was “appropriate and necessary.” However, after this date, few legislative actions were enforced to prevent coal-fired power plants from emitting mercury into the atmosphere. On December 21, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency finally issued mercury and air toxics standards to limit the amount of mercury and other toxic pollutions released from power plants. Coal–fired power plants have not reduced their mercury output until recently due to the lack of effective technology implementation, the influences of power plant lobbyists, and the lack of government enforcement of mercury regulations.Once mercury is released into the environment from coal power plants, it can then be swept into bodies of water. Environments like the Chesapeake Bay, is home to many fish and wildlife that are harmed by mercury. Not only