This resolution recognizes the severe health risks of mercury pollution, primarily from burning fossil fuels, and urges the EPA to maintain existing controls on power plant emissions.
Sheldon Whitehouse
Senator
RI
This resolution recognizes the severe health risks associated with mercury pollution, such as permanent brain damage and birth defects, primarily stemming from burning fossil fuels. It highlights that power plants are the largest source of these emissions, leading to widespread contamination through the food chain. The Senate formally asserts that existing pollution controls on power plants should not be weakened.
Senate Resolution Formally Recognizes Mercury's Health Dangers and Urges EPA to Keep Pollution Controls
This isn’t a bill that changes a law or allocates funding; it’s a Senate resolution, which is essentially a formal statement of findings and opinion. But don’t tune out—these statements matter because they set the stage for future policy debates. This resolution is all about mercury pollution, establishing a hard line on its dangers and telling the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exactly what the Senate thinks about its existing rules.
The Science and the Stakes: Why Mercury Matters
The resolution starts by laying out the scientific consensus, finding that mercury is a powerful neurotoxin that causes severe health problems, including permanent brain damage, kidney damage, and birth defects. It explicitly states there is no known safe level of mercury exposure. For people aged 25–45, this hits home particularly hard if you’re planning a family or have young children, as developing fetuses are the most vulnerable population.
It then connects this danger directly to the source: fossil fuel-fired power plants. The resolution finds these plants are the largest source of mercury emissions in the U.S., releasing the toxin into the atmosphere where it eventually settles into the ground, water, and food system. If you’ve ever seen a fish advisory posted at a lake or river, you’ve seen the real-world impact of this cycle. The resolution notes there were over 3,700 fish advisories in effect across the country as of 2025.
Living Next Door to the Source
One of the most striking findings in the resolution is the proximity risk. It states that an estimated 80 million people, including 17 million children, live within three miles of a fossil fuel-fired power plant. This isn't just an abstract environmental issue; it’s a localized public health concern for millions of families. For those living near these facilities, this resolution formally acknowledges the elevated risk they face every day.
The EPA’s Mandate: Don't Touch the Controls
The resolution’s final action is its most direct policy statement: The Senate expresses its position that the Environmental Protection Agency should not weaken or relax existing controls on mercury pollution from power plants. This is a clear signal to regulators. Since this is a non-binding resolution, it doesn't legally stop the EPA from changing rules, but it puts the Senate on the record supporting the current, stricter environmental safeguards. For power plant operators, this means the regulatory status quo—which requires costly pollution controls—is likely to remain in place, backed by formal legislative support. For the rest of us, it means the Senate is advocating for the continued protection of air and water quality against this specific neurotoxin.