In 2006, the New Hampshire legislature gave the green light to a mercury bill that doesn't do nearly enough to protect public health, the health of our children and the natural environment from toxic mercury pollution coming from our PSNH coal-fired power plants. As it stands now, the bill would allow power plants to stall even longer before they begin controlling their mercury pollution, would allow twice as much mercury to pollute our waterways than it should, and includes a pollution loophole, letting power plants get credit for cleaning up one pollutant in place of another.

Mercury pollution from power plants, sent up the smokestacks when the plants burn coal or oil, finds its way into our rivers and lakes and accumulates in the fish we catch and eat.

Two Public Service of New Hampshire power plants are the single largest unregulated source of mercury pollution in the state, pumping more than 130 pounds of toxic mercury into our air every year. As a result, southern New Hampshire is home to the worst mercury “hotspot” in the country – the area where mercury contamination has reached highly dangerous levels.

This is particularly worrisome for small children and women of childbearing age, because mercury can wreak havoc with developing nervous systems. The good news is that New Hampshire has taken the first step toward making deep cuts in mercury pollution – but a great deal of work remains.