OHIO LEGISLATION Hagan submits bill to reduce use of mercury

YOUNGSTOWN -- State Sen. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown is introducing legislation to curb the use of mercury in products sold and marketed in the state and to reduce mercury emissions from Ohio power plants.
Hagan, of Youngstown, D-33rd, said his bill is being submitted in conjunction with similar proposals in the state legislatures of Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Hagan's bill will be referred to the Senate Energy, Natural Resources and Environment Committee, on which he serves as the ranking Democrat.
The legislation would require companies using mercury in consumer goods to notify either the Ohio Department of Health or the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and its use could be restricted by those agencies.
Mercury is a toxin that has been shown to cause health problems in people, wildlife and the environment.
Hagan's proposal would also require drastic reductions in mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants in Ohio. The plan would reduce the amount of mercury emissions by 80 to 90 percent over the next 10 to 12 years. His proposal is based on legislation recently enacted in Connecticut.