Great Lakes Article:

About 900 pounds of mercury that otherwise would be eliminated will continue to fall across Minnesota annually in coming years under the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed mercury-control standard for coal-fired power plants, state environmental groups contended Monday.

Much of that airborne mercury finds its way into lakes and streams, where, as a highly toxic offshoot called methyl-mercury, it accumulates in the flesh of fish and is consumed by anglers and their families.

"It's not a very good standard and certainly not strong enough to require any significant reductions in Minnesota,'' said Matt Little, Sierra Club air toxics campaign coordinator.

About 90 percent of the mercury that falls in Minnesota comes from outside the state. In Minnesota, an estimated 3,700 pounds of mercury are released each year. Almost half comes from coal-fired power plants, which would not have to cut emissions levels as much as they would under more stringent limits previously envisioned.

"Coal-fired power plants, the single largest source of mercury emissions in the U.S., are being given a pass by this administration,'' Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn., said in a statement.

Over the past decade, many statewide production sectors, such as sewage sludge and medical incinerators, have reduced mercury emissions dramatically while power plants have increased their emissions slightly.

Sarah Welch of the Izaak Walton League of America's Midwest Office said a compromise reached last week to reduce pollution at three of Xcel Energy's metro-area power plants would reduce mercury emissions by 200 pounds a year, about 10 percent of the mercury that can be traced to state energy production.

Over the past decade, Minnesota has taken a number of measures to reduce mercury released into the atmosphere.

The state, for example, has banned the sale of many products containing mercury, requires businesses and households to recycle fluorescent lamps and has established a 2005 goal of reducing mercury emissions by 70 percent from 1990 levels. The MPCA has agreed not to pursue additional state regulations until then as long as adequate progress is made in reducing emissions.

There also are several voluntary programs, such as thermometer exchanges. In addition, the state puts out fish-consumption advisories addressing how much and what types of fish caught in Minnesota can be consumed safely.

Saying that's not enough, however, a coalition of environmental groups recommended last week that state or federal legislation shoot for a 90 percent reduction of mercury by 2010 and a virtual elimination by 2020.