Regulating mercury from coal-fired plants has been a game of political football rather than a reasoned, scientific process. Now that we have a time out while the EPA considers its next play, you can be sure the game will go into overtime when new mercury rule comes out next March and the lawsuits begin to fly. In the meantime, more than 1,000 U.S. coal plants face the possibility of major expenditures to meet the new limits. For some people who work at those plants, the good news is: You have some options.