This resolution expresses the Senate's recognition that mercury pollution poses serious health risks, including permanent brain damage, kidney damage, birth defects, and heart disease. The resolution highlights that fossil fuel-fired power plants are the largest source of mercury emissions in the United States, affecting approximately 80 million people living within three miles of such facilities, including 17 million children. It notes that mercury enters the environment through coal and petroleum burning, eventually contaminating water supplies and fish, with over 3,700 fish consumption advisories currently in effect across all 50 states due to mercury contamination. The resolution emphasizes that unborn babies are particularly vulnerable to mercury exposure, which can cause severe intellectual impairment, cerebral palsy, seizures, and developmental delays. While this resolution carries no funding or enforcement mechanisms, it expresses the Senate's position that the Environmental Protection Agency should maintain—not weaken—current controls on mercury emissions from power plants.
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