Washington: TransAlta Coal-Fired Power Plant Under Fire for Mercury

"Calls for TransAlta to reduce emissions grew louder last week as a Seattle-based coalition released a report detailing what it called an 'extremely dangerous' level of mercury at the plant, about a month before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to propose new mercury-emission requirements.

Environment Washington, a citizen-driven environmental advocacy group, held a news conference Thursday at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Seattle office, in which it released findings in a report titled “Dirty Energy’s Assault on Our Health: Mercury.”

The report, compiled by Shelley Vinyard and Lauren Randall of the group’s research and policy center, warned about the effects of mercury contamination in the food and water supply – and ranked 451 electric utilities throughout the nation that emit mercury."

Christopher Brewer reports for the Centralia (WA) Chronicle January 31, 2011.