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Whereas, pollution is a threat to the health and well-being of every child in our great city and state; and
Whereas, mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants is extremely harmful to expectant mothers and their babies, resulting in the development of learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, lowered IQs and mental retardation in children; and
Whereas, more than 600,000 women of childbearing age have mercury levels in their blood that put their babies at risk of poor brain and neurological system development; and
Whereas, Pennsylvania is the second largest emitter of mercury pollution in the country, with advisories for all of its lakes and rivers of the danger of eating fish from the water; and
Whereas, we commend our guests, Heather Sage of PennFuture, Myron Arnowitt of Clean Water Action, and Kathy Lawson of the Learning Disabilities Association for their work on behalf of the campaign to protect children's health by reducing power plant mercury emissions; and
Whereas, Pennsylvania's state-specific mercury reduction plan is mindful of the coal business and protects the market share for bituminous coal; and
Whereas, Pittsburgh City Council members are a valuable resource in the effort to lobby state officials on this issue; and
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh strongly supports the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's state-specific mercury reduction plan, which requires a 90 percent reduction in power plant mercury emissions by the year 2015.