Toxic Mercury in Oregon Waterways Could Rise After Trump Administration Loosens Power Plant Rules
A 21-state and local government coalition- including Oregon, a state already suffering from out-of-state pollution- filed a lawsuit yesterday after the Trump administration weakened federal limits on mercury and other toxic pollutants released by coal and oil-fired power plants.
Oregon Files Mercury Lawsuit Against Trump Administration
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that poses serious dangers to public health. The lawsuit was filed after the Trump administration recently rolled back the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule, allowing power plants to release more dangerous chemicals into the air.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield confirmed that mercury poisoning doesn’t stop at state lines.
Oregon AG Dan Rayfield said, “Oregon families deserve clean water and a federal government that fights for that- not one that gives pollutants a free pass.”
Mercury travels through rivers and waterways, ending up in the fish people eat. Rolling back MATS protections puts pregnant women, children, and families across Oregon at greater risk.
The MATS Rule implements nationwide standards that limit emissions of toxic air pollutants from coal- and oil-fired power plants, including mercury, arsenic, lead, and other toxic metals, as well as acid gases such as hydrogen chloride and formaldehyde.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated the standards for emissions of these hazardous air pollutants in 2024, but the Trump administration rolled back the updated standard last month, allowing for more of these dangerous emissions to be released into the air.
Source: Oregon Department of Justice / Federal Register / Oregon DEQ
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Aside from disproportionately harming people living near coal- and oil-fired power plants, mercury and other hazardous air pollutants can travel long distances and be deposited in other states. Mercury emissions from power plants are also a major contributor to mercury contamination in U.S. waterways.
The coalition argues that the repeal is unlawful because the EPA has failed to provide a reasoned basis for it and failed to adequately consider developments in practices, processes, and control technologies in its attempt to revert to outdated standards.
The plaintiffs have asked the court to determine that the rule is unlawful and reverse it.
Sources of Mercury In Oregon Water
Oregon’s mercury problem mostly comes from outside the state. Oregon gets most of its electricity from cleaner sources, but the DEQ says much of the mercury in Oregon waters blows in from national and global pollution. In 2022, Oregon’s non-greenhouse-gas share of electricity generation reached 69%
The greatest source of mercury in the Willamette Basin is atmospheric deposition, and the mercury in the air originates mainly from national and global sources rather than from sources in Oregon.