A resolution recognizing that mercury pollution can cause severe health problems, including permanent brain damage, kidney damage, and birth defects.

This Senate Resolution formally recognizes that mercury pollution is a powerful neurotoxin capable of causing severe health problems, such as permanent brain damage, kidney damage, and birth defects. It emphasizes that gestational exposure is particularly dangerous, leading to severe intellectual impairment and developmental issues in infants. The resolution identifies fossil fuel combustion, particularly from power plants , as the primary source of mercury emissions, which then contaminate waterbodies and the food system. It notes that consuming mercury-contaminated fish is the most common exposure pathway for humans, with thousands of fish advisories currently in effect across the United States. Ultimately, the Senate declares its sense that the Environmental Protection Agency should refrain from loosening any existing controls on mercury pollution originating from power plants, underscoring the critical need to protect public health from this pervasive environmental threat.