FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 5, 2006

CONTACT:
Christina Kreitzer, 415-977-5619
Jack Darin, 312-251-1680

Sierra Club Applauds Illinois Governor for Protecting Public Health from
                            Mercury Pollution,
                  Calls on Other Governors to Follow Suit

Today, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich announced a plan to require
Illinois' coal-fired power plants to reduce the levels of toxic mercury
released into our air and water.  The plan forces the plants to reduce
mercury pollution by 90% in the next three years.  In the months leading up
to this decision, the Sierra Club held nine mercury testing events
throughout the state, drawing attention to the dangers of mercury pollution
and the need to protect families from mercury poisoning.  Additionally, in
September 2005, the Sierra Club released a poll revealing that an
overwhelming majority (73%) of Illinois voters supported requiring all
coal-burning power plants in the state to reduce the level of mercury being
emitted from their smokestacks.

"Governor Blagojevich's proposal will not only protect the health of
Illinois children, it will also set a precedent for other Governors across
the country to take the necessary steps to clean up mercury pollution from
coal-fired power plants and address a major public health problem," said
Jack Darin, Director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter.

The Bush administration recently drew criticism for its plan to release
three times more mercury pollution into our air than current clean air laws
allow and delays cleanup for a decade longer. Governors across the country
are taking matters into their own hands to protect women and children from
harmful mercury pollution. Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New
Jersey, North Carolina and Wisconsin already have mercury standards in the
works that demand deeper and faster cuts than the federal proposal.

Mercury is a developmental neurotoxin that can affect fetuses developing in
the womb, young children, and at higher doses, can lead to serious health
effects in adults.  The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that one
in six women of childbearing age has mercury levels in her blood that are
high enough to put a baby at risk.  Nationwide, as many as 630,000 infants
are born every year with unsafe mercury levels, putting them at risk of
cognitive and developmental damage.

The Sierra Club is sponsoring a mercury hair testing program with the
University of North Carolina, where participants can find out exactly how
much mercury is in their bodies. Home testing kits are available for a
small non-profit fee online at www.sierraclub.org/mercury.

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