January 25, 2007

To the Editor: 

The coal industry’s rebuttal to Dr. Charlie Christensen’s letter of concern about mercury and other toxic pollutants that will come along with the Highwood Generating Station (HGS) raises some important issues.

1) The January 21^st article was written by Engineer, Jeff Chaffe, a paid lobbyist of Southern Montana Electric, the company proposing the coal plant.  The Tribune failed to mention this fact. 

2) Mercury is an extremely dangerous neurotoxin that can cause severe damage to    humans and wildlife. It is connected to neurological disorders, cardiac disease, attention deficit disorder, autism, and many other disorders. In addition, it can permanently damage fetuses even in extremely small doses.

3) Coal-fired power plants emit 92% of the human-caused mercury that enters Montana’s air each year. The Colstrip plants are responsible for the vast majority of that pollution. Two plants in Montana have agreed to install mercury controls.

4) The problem is NOW even without adding the HGS to the total worldwide emissions of mercury, microscopic particulates, CO2, CO, sulfur and nitrogen …. 1 out of 5 women of childbearing age RIGHT NOW have enough mercury in their blood stream to be defined as “at risk” for their fetus defined by the EPA.  

5) MOTHERS, would you trust your children’s health to an engineer working for a coal company or a Pediatrician?

6) Please visit Citizens for Clean Energy Web Site www.cce-mt.org .

Lisa Hardiman