By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – The Bush Administration wants to regulate mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, but Missouri environmentalists say the plan doesn't go far enough.
The proposal would require plants to cut mercury output 29 percent by 2010, and 70 percent by 2018.
But the Missouri Public Interest Research Group is urging area legislators to vote against it.
Spokeswoman Erin Lapidus says the rules should be tougher.
"The bill would not put the most effective technologies available on the power plants in Missouri, which would reduce the mercury by 90 percent," Lapidus said.
Ameren UE owns 10 coal-burning plants in Missouri and Illinois.
The company's Mike Menne says a so-called cap and trade program would be easier to deal with than the more stringent regulations environmentalists want.
But he says mercury is tough to keep an eye on.
"One of the reasons it's so difficult is because the mercury is in very minute quantities in our gas streams," Menne said. "It's very difficult to measure. And any time you have a regulation controlling mercury emissions, one of the things you have to be able to do is measure it."