Key Facts About Mercury

* Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can cause damage to the central nervous system-especially in infants and young children.

* Mercury enters the environment in many ways, but the biggest source in Illinois is coal-fueled power plants, which emit 7,000 pounds of it into the air every year.

* Once mercury enters the water, it becomes toxic and accumulates in plants, insects, and animals, including fish.

* In Illinois, salmon, catfish and trout may have mercury levels more than a millions times higher that the surrounding water.

Frequently Asked Questions

What waterways are safe to fish?

The Illinois EPA added a number of new lakes, rivers and creeks to the statewide consumption advisory for sport fish in 2006, Women of child-bearing age and young children are especially vulnerable. To read the entire list of fish and waterways, click here.

What kind of fish are safe to eat?

Predator fish such as bass, pike, walleye and catfish have especially high levels of mercury. Click here for a handy wallet-sized card that outlines the mercury content of a wide array of types of fish.

How do I know if I have been exposed to too much mercury?

The Sierra Club is offering a testing kit to find out how much mercury you have in your body for the non-profit rate of $25. Click here for more information.

Where are the coal-fired power plants?

In Illinois, power plants that burn coal and emit mercury into the atmosphere are located all around the state, from Waukegan to Marion. Click here for a map of the sites and the mercury measurements in nearby waterways.

Which power plants have not yet agreed to limit their mercury output?

Two of the three biggest utilities in Illinois have now agreed to significantly reduce their mercury emissions--only Midwest Generation is holding out. Its plants are in Central and Northeastern Illinois, as shown in this map.

How do power plants get mercury into fish?

When coal bearing mercury is burned to create electricity, it sends the mercury into the atmosphere, where it returns to earth in rain or snow. The precipitation enters streams, rivers and lakes, is absorbed by bacteria and moves up the food chain. This graphic explains in more detail.

How far does mercury travel in the atmosphere?

Not as far as you might think. Recently the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection released a report that showed mercury levels almost 50 percent higher in areas near coal-fired power plants, echoing findings of several other studies. That means that living near a coal power plant is more dangerous--and that limiting Illinois mercury emissions will have a powerful effect on our local environment and residents' health.