MERCURY RISING
Impaired memory and vision. Stunted language development. Poor attention span. Impaired fine motor coordination. These are some of the devastating effects of mercury poisoning, a growing threat to American children.
This April saw a disturbing first for New York — the state Department of Health warned women of childbearing age and children not to eat most fish caught in the Adirondacks and Catskills because of mercury contamination. This year also saw the number of specific water bodies with mercury contaminated fish spike from 51 to 72.
NYPIRG is working to remove environmental mercury by striking at the most egregious source — heavily polluting power plants that are, amazingly, unregulated under federal clean air standards. Power plants in New York State emitted 1,124 pounds of mercury in 2001, ranking the state 26th in the country.
That’s why NYPIRG is fighting to have Governor Pataki pick up where the federal government failed by issuing strong in-state protections as soon as possible – protections he promised back in 2002. Neighboring states, such as New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts, are already taking these steps. The Governor needs to take strong action today to address power plant pollution and mercury contamination so we can protect our children and improve our environment.
NYPIRG released a new white paper dealing with mercury pollution. Click here to read Polluting our Future: How the US Environmental Protection Agency's Proposed Power Plant Mercury Rule Harms New York State.
Power plant pollution has long been a focus of NYPIRG's environmental campaign — click here to learn more about our Energy Project.
For more information about mercury pollution, including some answers to frequently asked questions, click here.