Ending mercury pollution should be a no-brainer

Mercury is so potent that even a fraction of an ounce can contaminate waterways and make fish unsafe to eat – yet we still allow coal-fired power plants to pump mercury into our air, where it then settles into nearby rivers and lakes. Once there, it can poison fish and the people who eat them.  

That’s why we asked President Biden when he took office to strengthen standards on mercury and other toxic air pollution from power plants. And now, the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to do so. Our advocates just delivered more than 40,000 public comments in support of strong rules to cut mercury and other toxic air pollution from coal plants by about two thirds.

The best way to cut this kind of toxic pollution out of our lives would be to stop relying on fossil fuels for power at all- and we’re working on that too. But right now, we can secure cleaner air and water, and save lives, by reducing mercury pollution.