I guess it's a choice between mercury and air pollution caused by the excess power demand then, which eventually contaminates our water as well. How many of our glass thermometers still use mercury or our home thermostats? Each of those contain more than CFLs.

At least with the light bulbs we can recycle. Something we can't do with electric power plant exhaust.

Bob

Bob ya cant find a mercury thermometer any more They had a recall a few years back,I think they are not produced anymore,mercury switches are also on there way out,if not already.Regulations of all mercury except coal power.Mercury is NOT natural to the environment! its either extracted by man from other materials or released by man burning coal.

At least for those uses, we have obviously found alternatives that to our knowledge are not worse for us anyway.

Correction. Mercury IS found natural in our environment in concentrated deposits around the world. It is the 80th element of the periodic table.

The emissions of coal fired furnaces are responsible for roughly 40% of air-borne mercury in the US. Volcanic eruption is responsible for about 50% of all air-borne emissions.

Bob

As here It is found either as a native metal (rare)


is an extremely rare element in the Earth's crust, having an average crustal abundance by mass of only 0.08 parts per million. However, because it does not blend geochemically with those elements that constitute the majority of the crustal mass, mercury ores can be extraordinarily concentrated considering the element's abundance in ordinary rock. The richest mercury ores contain up to 2.5% mercury by mass, and even the leanest concentrated deposits are at least 0.1% mercury (12,000 times average crustal abundance).

It is found either as a native metal (rare) or in cinnabar, corderoite, livingstonite and other minerals, with cinnabar (HgS) being the most common ore. Mercury ores usually occur in very young orogenic belts where rock of high density are forced to the crust of the Earth, often in hot springs or other volcanic regions.

Nice wilkpedia ripoff...ya feel smart now?

Well if you're so concerned about the mercury from the plant then you're contradicting yourself, because if this addition is allowed to be built the mercury emissions will be reduced to 70 pounds when the pollution equipment is updated for both plants.

It appears that by opposing the second phase of this plant you are effectively promoting pollution.

vital yes it was a search but unlike your thoughts I googled Perodic Tables Mercury.Something you probably would have never thought of if ya even know the perodic table.

Sparce, it's pretty evident you don't want coal fired plants. That's cool.

More nukes arn't coming for a long time, wind can't do the job, what's you're solution?

It ain't solution some folks are looking for, it is a magic pill to make all the bad stuff go away. All these things are steps forward from where we were to where we are going, it takes time and effort to get there.

American Rivers has named the Minnesota as the 5th most endangered river in the US because of the coal plant. the second coal plant would take one fifth of the water in Bigstone Lake. That's more than all 16 ethanol plants in Minnesota! They ALREADY take water for the FIRST coal plant!

But the denial was based on findings that Otter Tail's customers don't need the power, as the company says. They now make a fortune selling "excess" power from big Stone 1 on the spot market. These line would enable them to do the same with Big Stone 2.

In the meantime, Otter Tail won't buy wind power from Minnesota farmers.....Don't fall for the company line on this one. We don't need or want Big Stone 2....

Its not really that I dont want them.Its the fact that they do have the tech to clean emittances far better than they do! But they keep trying to get by with the minumum at best and fight & wrangel to make standards less.Yes it will cost more,but as Richard47 stated above its the money their after which I also understand,BUT with all the profit their not willing to go above and beyond! So heres one for wade remember this "ask not what your country can do for you,Ask what you can do for your country"
I also am all for nuclear power,some day a repository is emminent just to handle what there is now! After all is it not a fed.Govt. promise

It's interesting how we can be so afraid of mercury but embrace nuclear power and the vast amount of radioactive waste by-product of nuclear energy consumption; of which we have no safe method of dealing with at this time.

Bob

yup.

Whatever happens to fit your personal agenda I guess.

Maybe sparcebag can enlighten us on the dangers of nuclear....i'm sure wilpedias got something he can copy.

I could look it up. GOOD BARB! little childish.
So not to deprive the IF educaters,You'll most likly learn of nuck fission in 7th or 8th grade.The navy if you graduate is a fine place to learn also.