Regs on mercury about to change

To the editor:

Mercury pollution causes mental retardation in children when their mothers have high levels of mercury in their system while pregnant. One in six women of childbearing age has enough mercury in her blood to put her unborn child at risk. In healthy adults, mercury and other air toxins can adversely affect fertility and blood pressure regulation and contribute to heart-rate variability and heart disease. Coal-fired power plants are the largest uncontrolled source of mercury, acid gases, arsenic and chromium air pollution. They are the second largest source of lead and dioxin air pollution. If we clean up power plants, we can reduce this danger.

Next March, the Bush administration must finalize a plan to reduce toxic mercury from power plants. Instead of enforcing the Clean Air Act and protecting our health, the EPA is trying to delay and reduce cleanup requirements for power plants. The Bush mercury proposal means six to seven times more mercury from power plants for a decade longer than the Clean Air Act requires.

The EPA is inviting public comment. The comment period closes Jan. 3, 2005. You can easily send an e-mail to the EPA urging a reduction, rather than an increase, in mercury levels in our air and water. A few minutes of your time may save thousands of lives and make the world safer and healthier for your children.

DAVID LEITHAUSER, DeLand, Fla.