Mercury Emission Act of 2005 - Fall

Advisor: Tanya Heikkila 

This report evaluates the environmental and public health impacts of mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants in the United States. Mercury pollution can accumulate in water bodies and enter the food chain through fish consumption, posing serious risks to human health, particularly to the neurological development of fetuses and young children. The project analyzes the Mercury Emission Act of 2005, which mandates a 90 percent reduction in national mercury emissions from 1999 levels. The legislation focuses particularly on coal-fired electricity generation, the largest anthropogenic source of mercury emissions in the United States. The report examines the scientific basis for regulating mercury emissions and discusses the political and policy debates surrounding different regulatory approaches to controlling this pollutant.

Assuming the Act is enacted, the authors propose an implementation strategy for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designed to achieve the mandated emissions reductions. The program is structured around four major phases: rulemaking to establish regulatory standards, identification and evaluation of emission control technologies, development of monitoring and reporting systems, and enforcement of compliance requirements. The report recommends the creation of a Mercury Regulatory Steering Committee to oversee the implementation process and coordinate activities across EPA offices and technical experts. It also outlines a staffing plan, budget estimates, and a performance management framework to ensure timely progress during the program’s first year. By establishing clear regulatory procedures and monitoring systems, the proposal aims to enable significant reductions in mercury emissions while protecting public health and ecosystems.

Learn more about the MPA-ESP Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management.