Coal-fired energy plants would have to reduce mercury emissions 90 percent by 2009 under a plan approved Thursday by the Illinois Pollution Control Board.
The proposed rule, tougher than one adopted by the Bush administration, now goes to a legislative rules committee for approval.
The rules require plants producing electricity by burning coal to severely limit mercury released from smokestacks by July 2009. If adopted, the rule would make Illinois one of several states to adopt rules stricter than required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
