On January 5, 2006, Illinois Governor Blagojevich proposed a strong set of mercury pollution control standards. The proposal would require coal plant owners to install modern pollution control equipment to reduce mercury pollution by 90 percent or more by June 30, 2009.

Unlike other state mercury reduction efforts that involved some sort of legislative catalyst, the Illinois effort appears to be an executive directive from the Governor to the Illinois Pollution Control Board(PCB) to establish agressive mercury reduction rules for power plants.

TheGovernor’s proposed rules were filed March 14th with the Illinois PCB. The proposed rule for tougher mercury standards will go before the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) this summer.

Accordingto the Environmental Law and Policy Center of the Midwest, the new mercury rules are are expected to be hotly contested. The complete documentation (filings, comments, background, etc.) from the rulemaking can be found at the following web site at the PCB:

• In the Matter of: Proposed New 35 Ill. Adm. Code 225 Control of Emissions From Large Combustion Sources (Mercury) – Case No. R2006-025

More Information:

• Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has a section devoted to the Mercury Reduction rulemaking
• Illinois Pollution Control Board
• Campaign To Stop Mercury Pollution Now!
• Mercury Policy Project
• Listing of Mercury-related State Laws, Local Ordinances and Resolutions in Effect – tracking from Health Care Without Harm
• Global Mercury Assessment Home – United Nations Programme
• Mercury Exposure: The World’s Toxic Time Bomb – Ban Mercury Working Group (Ban Hg-Wg), January 2003