Page - April 12, 2005
Mercury is a highly toxic chemical that can affect the central nervous system. Personal exposure to mercury, especially in the womb, can cause severe problems similar to those seen in other neurotoxins like lead: inability to focus and pay attention, delayed language development, impaired memory, vision and motor coordination, and problems processing information.
The largest emitter of mercury
pollution is coal-fired power plants. It is possible to reduce
mercury emissions from these plants by 90 percent right now, but
the Bush Administration is trying to stall the clean up for at
least ten years. More than 500,000 people have contacted the Bush
Administration asking that mercury standards be strengthened, NOT
weakened.