Alabama has one of the top five highest mercury emitting coal plants in the United States according to a report by the Environmental Integrity Project as reported on March 17, 2010.
The data taken from 2007 and 2008 EPA reports that mercury emissions increased at fifty percent of the coal burning electric plants in the country.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/03/17/90576/report-mercury-pollution-from.html
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eip-report-electric-power-industry-not-making-a-dent-in-dangerous-mercury-pollution-which-rose-at-over-half-of-the-nations-50-dirtiest-power-plants-88219897.html
Southern Company is the parent and owner of Alabama Power. Four of Southern Company’s plants in Alabama were noted as producing increasing mercury emissions in 2007 and 2008.
Six Southern Company plants in Georgia and Alabama are ranked among the top 50 power plant mercury emitters for overall mercury emissions in the United States.
http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/
There is no reason to believe that Southern Company has reduced their mercury emissions.
Southern Company has in fact pulled out of a $700 million Carbon Capture and Sequestration program at the Barry plant in Alabama that was earmarked for about $295 million in federal stimulus funding through the Energy Department's Clean Coal Power Initiative.
According to Southern Spokesperson Steve Higginbottom:
"It's really about the efficient deployment of resources. Really, we felt it was in the best interest of our customers and shareholders to not move forward with the expanded CCS project at Plant Barry."
He added, "The current economic conditions also factored into the decision."
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/03/southern-company-no-ccs-alabama.php
According to the 5:30 PM news report on CBS 42 in Birmingham, Alabama Power plans a rate increase in the near future. The amount of the rate increase is not known to date.
There is a patented and proven technology that removes mercury and other harmful metals from coal prior to its use in electric power plants. The US Department of Energy has refused to fund that technology. Alabama Power does use some coal that is processed with this technology but the percentage is low relative to the amount of coal used to make electricity in Alabama.
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-6180-Birmingham-Science-News-Examiner~y2009m6d16-DOE-politics-halts-Coal-CO2-capture-done-the-right-way--saving-money-and-creating-jobs
The hundreds of thousands of dollars that Southern Company and Alabama Power "donate" to the political campaigns of our Federal, State, and local "representatives" is the reason mercury is a problem in Alabama.
That money also is backing Alabama's suit against the Clean Air Act headed by Attorney General Troy King.
Southern Company "donated" $100,313 to political campaigns in 2008 and 2010. Surprisingly Harry Reid, Barack Obama, and several other prominent Democrats were recipients. Not surprisingly Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama got plenty.
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.php?name=&state=AL&zip=&employ=Southern+Company&cand=&c2010=Y&c2008=Y&sort=A&capcode=wzqd6&submit=Submit
Alabama Power "donated" $97,331 to political campaigns in 2008 and 2010. Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby figure prominently in the donations from Alabama Power.
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.php?name=&state=AL&zip=&employ=Alabama+Power&cand=&c2010=Y&c2008=Y&sort=A&capcode=wzqd6&submit=Submit
Money pays for mercury poisoning license in Alabama.
Comments
I didn't know this about mercury. Wonder if there is a higher incidence of autism around these plants...
No direct documentation exists. No studies have been done that show a correlation with autism.
Recent court rulings have eliminated thimerisol (mercury compound) as a "cause" of autism. Even more recent research into autism in Europe, Canada, and the US indicate autism is a genetic malfunction. The genes involved have been identified and there is a potential for reversal with nanogene manipulation.
Affected children may show red cheeks, nose and lips, loss of hair, teeth, and nails, transient rashes, hypotonia (muscle weakness), and increased sensitivity to light. Other symptoms may include kidney disfunction (e.g. Fanconi syndrome) or neuropsychiatric symptoms such as emotional lability, memory impairment, or insomnia.
In humans, approximately 80% of inhaled mercury vapor is absorbed via the respiratory tract where it enters the circulatory system and is distributed throughout the body.
This could explain some of the the 25% illeteracy rate in Alabama.
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