A poll released today reveals that an overwhelming majority (73%) of Illinois voters support requiring all coal-burning power plants in the state to reduce the level of mercury being emitted from their smokestacks. Only 13% opposed this position.

"Illinois voters understand that mercury is a major threat to their health, and to future generations, and that coal-fired power plants are the major source of the problem," said Jack Darin, Director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter. "Every demographic subgroup in the survey, no matter what age, gender, party or ideology, was in favor of making coal-burning power plants in Illinois keep their mercury out of our water."

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is leading an effort of Midwestern states to adopt mercury pollution controls for coal-fired power plants in an effort to reduce the contamination of rivers and lakes in the region with mercury. The effort is in response to a proposal by the Bush Administration to weaken existing Clean Air Act requirements for the cleanup of mercury and other pollutant from coal-fired power plants. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed suit against the federal proposal to relax mercury protections, citing public health concerns.

The results of the random survey, conducted by Abacus Associates, found similar support for mercury cleanup in each of the five Midwest states (MI, WI, MN, IA, IL) surveyed. Across the region, the same percentage of voters - 73% - supported action by their state that goes beyond the Bush Administration's proposal.

"Clearly voters from across the Midwest support Governor Blagojevich's goal of strong regional limits on mercury pollution," said Darin. "Hopefully the Governors from our region can act together to protect our health, and set a model for the rest of the country to follow in cleaning up mercury contamination."

Upon hearing arguments for and against reducing mercury poisoning, 76% of Illinois voters were at least "a great deal concerned" upon hearing that mercury damages brain development and the nervous system in children and can lead to cerebral palsy, autism, and mental retardation. Seventy percent of Illinois voters were at least a great deal concerned that a Mt. Sinai hospital study estimated the economic cost of mercury pollution at $1.3 billion per year.  

Seventy percent of voters in Illinois said they want Governor Blagojevich to take the lead and require all coal burning power plants to adopt existing technology that will reduce the level of mercury being emitted from their smokestacks. Only 19% of Illinoisans surveyed disagreed.

Results of the survey are based on a telephone survey of 750 random-digit dialed (RDD) adults in 5 states, who were screened as likely voters. There were 150 interviews in each state, with the data weighted to match the number of likely voters in the state. Data is also weighted within each state by gender, age, income and party to match known population parameters. 

Interviews were conducted over a 3-day period, between August 22 and August 24, 2005, with numbers being called back at least 3 times in order to reach the randomly selected voter. This rigorous methodology ensures that harder-to-reach members are interviewed and that the results are more accurate. Sampling error at the 95% level of confidence for each group on a question where respondents are evenly divided is plus or minus 3.6% for 750 interviews and plus or minus 8.0% for 150 interviews.