INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ The Sierra Club says new federal standards for mercury, lead and other toxic pollutants that coal-fired power plants discharge into rivers and streams are good news for Indiana's waterways and its residents.

Jodi Perras, the Indiana representative of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign, calls the standards “a victory for every Hoosier who wants to swim in clean rivers, eat healthy fish, and drink clean water.”

Perras says a 2013 report from a coalition of environmental groups found that only three of Indiana's 19 coal-fired power plants had permits that limited their toxic heavy metal discharges into public waters.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the new standards announced Wednesday will provide significant protections for American children and communities from exposure to pollutants that can cause serious health problems.