EPA approves plan to reduce mercury impact on fish

The New York Department of environmental Conservation recently announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved a multi-state plan to reduce mercury in the waters of New York and New England. The approval was a necessary step toward implementing a collaboration between New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont to reduce mercury pollution and make freshwater fish safer to eat.

DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said, "New York is pleased that EPA has agreed with the scientific evidence showing mercury's negative effects on the environment and public health, but EPA needs to follow up with a national program to more effectively control harmful air emissions. New York State will remain diligent in monitoring the impacts of mercury, and pursue its ongoing initiatives to make a positive difference for our residents and natural communities."

Mercury is a toxic pollutant that accumulates in the environment. It pollutes the air through processes that burn coal to generate electric power. Mercury can also combine with other elements to form both organic and inorganic compounds. Exposure to these compounds, or high levels of metallic mercury, can damage the nervous system and kidneys. Women of child-bearing age, pregnant women, and children are particularly vulnerable. Exposure to unsafe levels of mercury pollution could cause children to suffer brain damage or behavioral and developmental problems.

The vast majority of mercury pollution affecting New York comes from air emissions--much of it from out-of-state sources. Mercury pollutes at least 80 waters in New York to the extent that state and federal laws are violated. Eating fish caught in New York can yield health benefits, and fishing in the state offers many recreational and economic opportunities. However, to reduce potential exposure to unwanted contaminants like mercury, the New York State Department of Health has issued fish consumption advisories that inform people about which fish and game to avoid, and how to reduce their exposure to contaminants in the fish and game that they do eat. Fish consumption advisories can be found on the Department of Health website's Chemicals in Sportfish and Game: 2007-2008 Health Advisories page (see "Related Links" below). Fish advisories exist for waters throughout the state including Onondaga Lake, several New York City water supply reservoirs, Lake Champlain, Rushford Lake in Allegany County, and Great Sacandaga Lake in Fulton and Saratoga counties.

The goal of the multi-state plan is to reduce atmospheric deposition of mercury to the region by between 86 and 98 percent, allowing fish-tissue mercury levels to decline, and enabling the states to discontinue their fish consumption advisories. The multi-state plan, called the Northeast Regional Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), recommends actions to be taken by EPA, including the implementation of a stringent, national, mercury control program.