Environmentalists in Maine are hailing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to issue new air pollution rules for coal and oil--fired power plants. The decision settles a lawsuit brought by several environmental groups, including the Augusta-based Natural Resources Council of Maine.

NRCM Executive Director Brownie Carson says the new rules will lead to a dramatic reduction in the amount mercury the power plants release, and consequently, less mercury in Maine's environment. "This is hugely important for the health of Maine people, because we have the highest mercury levels in air pollution of any state in the country, and women and children are especially vulnerable."

Carson says the new rules will reduce mercury emissions from the plants by 90 percent. He says Maine doesn't have any coal-fired power plants, but the state gets showered with mercury and other pollutants from plants west of the state, particularly from larger plants in the Midwest.

Under the agreement filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the EPA is scheduled to adopt the new rules by November of 2011, though Carson says that timetable could be delayed if the agreement is challenged in court.

Industry representatives have complained that the new rules will force plants to install expensive equipment upgrades. But Carson says those expenses pale in comparison to the health costs associated with mercury exposure.