"Sure, I don't doubt the greatness of ALA, but in the article I read they mentioned the name of the constituents that mobilized the mercury. I don't remember what they are called, but it said ALA can remove deep tissue mercury stores... Great.

The article specifically described a chemical reaction that expels mercury from these stores, not chelates, so a chelator had to be used simutaneously.

If ALA does just as well of a job, then that's good news."

ALA is a well known molecule though, so the real question is whether the active compound in coriander works better or worse than ALA. After the chelating compound in cilantro is isolated and tested, then we will have some answers.
Taking ALA is like taking vitamin c. Taking cilantro is like eating an orange. When you eat an orange, you don't just get vitamin c, and the amount of vitamin c present varies from orange to orange.