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 Mercury Pollution Makes Fish Harder To Swallow Bush administration delays reducing mercury emissions from power plants
Mercury is a poison that causes birth defects and learning disabilities in children, and central nervous system damage in adults. Young babies, children, pregnant women, women of child-bearing age, and populations that consume large quantities of fish are at the greatest risk of mercury poisoning. The EPA recently estimated that as many as one in six U.S. women already has unsafe levels of mercury in her body, leaving approximately 630,000 newborns at risk each year. Power plants are the greatest releasers of mercury in the United States, emitting 96,000 pounds of mercury each year.3 The Bush administration's mercury plan would allow three times more poisonous mercury pollution than strong enforcement of current clean air laws, and for decades longer-a delay that will leave New Mexico's communities at risk from mercury pollution for years to come. We can do better. Strong enforcement of the Clean Air Act, existing and emerging technology could reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent of current levels by 2008.4 Noting the damaging health effects, it made sense that in March 2004, the Bush administration warned Americans to limit the amount of fish we eat and feed our kids. It also makes sense that 44 states have fish consumption advisories for at least some of their waters due to mercury contamination. What doesn't make sense is that the administration's mercury proposal gives power plants permission to spew even more mercury into our air-mercury that will eventually end up in our lakes and streams and in the bodies of fish. In total, New Mexico has 22 warnings on the books advising us not to eat the fish from our state's lakes, streams, and reservoirs.5 Using a chart based on species of fish and the size at which they are commonly caught, the state advises pregnant women to eat no more than one meal of fish per month, even of the smallest fish. The state also advises that no one should eat the largest fish of any species found in New Mexican waters.6 The first fish consumption advisory for mercury in New Mexico was developed for Elephant Butte Reservoir in the late 1970s. Since then, consumption advisories have been issued for 31 waterbodies.7 Anglers spent more than $170 million dollars on fishing expenses in New Mexico in 2001, more than was spent by hunters.8 Oscar Simpson says that, "at Navajo Lake, fishing is the primary sporting activity and exceeds hunting three to one." Oscar believes that not being able to eat the fish caught in the lake is one of the biggest reasons angling families are making fewer trips there. For longtime fishermen like Oscar, mercury contamination has become the number one hindrance to pursuing this favored pastime, and it threatens to end long-running traditions of fishing at the lake for many families. Oscar knows the potential for protecting New Mexico's much-loved lakes and streams is there. But the Bush administration needs to make the health of New Mexico's residents a priority, not just increased corporate profits. For more information contact:
Surface Water Quality Bureau
Western Clean Energy Campaign
www.westernresourceadvocates.org/energy.html
Photo courtesy Oscar Simpson; used with permission.
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