Pennsylvanians cannot rely on Washington to fix the problem of mercury pollution. The lobbyist-led attempt to impose a weaker federal rule will undermine Pennsylvania's Environmental Quality Board and the rule-making currently under way that would reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants.

"Hot spots," created when a plant with high mercury emissions is permitted to buy pollution credits rather than reduce its emissions, are a real issue. Pennsylvania can be a national leader in pushing technologies that will capture mercury emissions from power plants.

By cleaning up coal, we can continue to use this abundant energy source without endangering public health or the environment. Mercury is among the least-controlled and most dangerous toxins threatening pregnant women and children in America. Industry lobbyists cannot be allowed to short-circuit the Environmental Quality Board's technical and health analysis necessary for setting a defensible, science-based pollution-reduction standard.