Mercury remains a major concern in Great Lakes

"Mercury deposits on land run into water bodies and enter the bodies of fish that subsequently are consumed by wildlife and humans. Mercury then is absorbed into brain matter and causes irreparable damage, said Hydrologist and geochemist David Krabbenhoft"

"This isn't a state problem or a regional problem. This is a worldwide problem," he said.

Coal is the last remaining major cause of mercury pollution that remains unregulated, Krabbenhoft said, and there is no way to know what effect emissions in Asia, Africa and Europe will have on North America and the rest of the world.

"It's creating that balance between the environment and providing low-cost energy to customers,"

WPS doesn't mind making pollution control changes, but all energy companies need a set of emissions rules to plan for the future, while meeting consumer demand and working with environmental and regulatory agencies. WPS aren't in compliance all the time with federal air quality standards and there is no reason for it, apart from being downwind from highly populated and industrial areas elsewhere in the Midwest.

"That's the way the wind blows, literally," McCann said.