The Seacoast boasts "some of the dirtiest (power) plants in the region, if not the country," but cleanup could be made easier if state lawmakers strengthen a new emissions reduction bill, according to Doug Bogen, program director for New Hampshire Clean Water Action.

At a meeting last week in Portsmouth, Bogen updated a crowd of about 30 people on the pollution problems caused by the three fossil fuel power plants in or around the region

"We have a big opportunity this year to get something done about power plants," Bogen said.

Bogen's efforts have been focused on cleaning up the state's three remaining fossil fuel power plants: Schiller Station in Portsmouth, Newington Station and Merrimack Station in Bow. The plants are the main cause of mercury contamination and high carbon dioxide levels in the region, Bogen said.

This year, the state Legislature will consider SB 128, which establishes mercury and carbon dioxide reduction standards for the three power plants. The bill augments the state's 2002 Clean Power Act, which called for a 70 percent reduction of nitrogen oxide and 75 percent reduction of sulfur dioxide, as well as unspecified cuts for mercury and carbon dioxide. SB 128 requires power plants to cut mercury emissions to 50 pounds per year by 2009 and to 24 pounds per year by 2013. Carbon dioxide levels would be cut to less than 5,425,866 tons per year.

Public Service of New Hampshire opposes the bill, according to Martin Murray, a spokesperson for the company.

"We feel we're not there yet, we being New Hampshire, in terms of being able to set a realistic cap," he said. "We're getting better and better at being able to accurately quantify how much mercury is being emitted, but no one can yet say what it would take in terms of cost and technology to reach a cap such as the one proposed in the legislation."

The bill isn't strong enough, Bogen said. The group wants mercury emissions cut by 90 percent by the end of the decade.

"It's doable, it's feasible," he said. "The technology is there."

Mercury pollution is particularly dangerous because it can seep into the water supply. One gram of mercury can contaminate a 25-acre lake, he said, enough to necessitate a freshwater fish consumption warning. The eating of fish is the greatest cause of mercury poisoning in people, and the Department of Environmental Services has issued an advisory on fish consumption in the state. High levels of mercury can cause neurological problems in humans.

Bogen said the group also wants to see tougher standards for the reduction of CO2 emissions. SB 128 still lets power plants engage in "trading," which means a power plant can opt out of reducing emissions by paying another plant that has reduced its emissions more than the required amount.

"We need to keep pressure up on our Legislature to strengthen these bills," Bogen said.

Murray of PSNH said the three plants meet federal and state emissions standards. The company is also working on other cleanup efforts, including converting one of Schiller Station's three boilers to burn wood. Also, later this year Merrimack Station will test a carbon injection system that might be able to separate mercury from the coal before it is emitted from the smoke stack.

The Legislature will look at two other bills dealing with mercury this year: HB 562 would prohibit the sale of products containing more than one gram of mercury, including lamps, switches and mercury thermometers; HB 371 bans the disposal of mercury-containing products in landfills and transfer stations.

Clean Water Action will host three other meetings in the state about power plant pollution. One was held in Auburn on Feb. 15, and the others will be in Plymouth on Feb. 17 and Milford on Feb. 22. For more information, call NH Clean Water Action at 603-430-9565.