Doesn burning coal cause mercury pollution?
Yes. Coal fired power plants are the largest producers of mercury pollution in Wisconsin. Instead of trying to reduce mercury pollution by using cleaner technologies, Alliant has proposed to continue polluting Wisconsin’s air and waterways with up to 196 lbs of mercury every year. When mercury released into the air settles into waterways, it is transformed into methylmercury, which is highly toxic and builds up in fish and shellfish. When humans eat those fish, it can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system. When an infant or child is exposed to methylmercury, it can impair normal development and damage the child’s nervous system. Mercury pollution is especially harmful to pregnant women, infants, and young children. Because of the serious dangers of mercury pollution, the state Department of Natural Resources has warned the public that all of Wisconsin’s lakes, rivers and streams contain unsafe levels of mercury pollution. Mercury emissions from the existing Nelson De
