Continued support of dirty power goes hand-in-hand with an attack on our health.
Some researchers believe they've found mercury's fingerprints on autistic children. In one study, they tested the urine of children given drugs to force toxins out of their bodies. Autistic children excreted three times as much mercury as children without autism.
Coal-burning power plants also emit mercury. Researchers found in 2004 that school districts in Texas counties with higher industrial mercury emissions, mostly from coal power plants, had a higher percentage of children in special-education classes, especially for autism. Studies elsewhere also have linked mercury in the local environment with local autism rates.
Texas ranked first nationwide in air emissions of mercury reported to the Environmental Protection Agency 15,147 pounds in 2004, the latest year available. New coal-burning plants proposed in Texas would increase that by nearly one-third, companies' permit requests show.
Reports of a connection between autism and mercury, Read the report for yourself:
On average, for each 1000 lb of environmentally released mercury, there was a 43% increase in the rate of special eudcation services and 61% increase in the rate of autism.
The highest rate increase is observed when comparing urban to rural school districts--relative to rual districts there is a 475% higher rate of autism. There is a 255% higher rate of autism in suburban relative to rural districts.
The authors list reasons for issues that warrant further investigation, but this is hardly the time or issue for people to get legal and claim "innocent til proven guilty." As the authors also note, they are conducting the first of this type of research. Barton has held up autism research money that might fund further research of the connection between mercury and autism. No, he can't have more incriminating facts getting out.
In 2004, five Texas power plants emitted a total of 4903 pounds of mercury,and 10 emitted 7985 pounds. And Perry and Barton want Texas to have 11 more.
While the link between mercury and autism isn't confirmed, the connection is too strong to ignore for further research.