Clean Wisconsin Pressroom

In this section:
• News Releases
• Press Kits
• News Releases: Subscribe
• News Release Archive
• Media Contact
Resources for Journalists:
• Publications
• Photos
• Videos/Presentations
• Organizational Fact Sheet
• Opinion Editorials and Statements
• Staff and Board

Thousands of Wisconsin Children at Risk from Toxic Mercury

For Immediate Release: August 10, 2006

For More Information Contact:
Keith Reopelle (608) 251-7020 office, (608) 212-2935 cell
Eric Uram (608) 347-8008 cell

The number of children born in Wisconsin each year at risk for adverse mental and neurological development impacts due to mercury poisoning from fish eaten by their mothers while pregnant could be as high as 9,000 according to calculations by a leading state environmental group. Mercury is well documented neurotoxin that affects the brain and nervous system, particularly in fetuses and children under 15 years of age.

“We estimate that mercury contaminated fish in Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers put somewhere from 5,000 to 9,000 additional children at risk every year for having lower IQs and reduced memory capacity and attention span,” said Keith Reopelle, Program Director for Clean Wisconsin. “This is a wake-up call for Wisconsin. The answer isn’t to fish less but to reduce mercury at the source.”

The analysis is based on a study presented by the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) at the Eighth International Conference no Mercury as Global Pollutant this week at the Monona Convention Center. The study examined mercury in the hair of 2,000 Wisconsin adults and found that 29 percent of the men and 13 percent of the women had mercury levels that put children and pregnant women at risk according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The international mercury conference brought together the world’s leading researchers to discuss recent findings on the sources of mercury, health and environmental impacts, control technologies and societal consequences. The conference organizers made no specific policy recommendations. “Based on the thousands of scientific studies presented at this conference it’s clear to us that both the federal and state can and should do a lot more to regulate mercury release to the environment,” said Eric Uram on behalf of the Mercury Free Wisconsin coalition.

“The Department of Natural Resources has an important opportunity this fall to strengthen our power plant mercury regulations in Wisconsin,” said Uram.

Wisconsin was the third state in the nation to regulate mercury emissions from coal plants when a 75 percent reduction limit was established in 2004. Since then Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan have either required a 90 percent reduction or are in the process of doing so. The federal power plant regulations require a 70 percent reduction by 2018 and include a cap and trade option that would allow utilities to buy credits from other utilities instead of making the reductions at their own plants.

“We urge Wisconsin to follow the lead of other states that are saying no to EPA’s cap and trade program for power plants,” said Reopelle. “Cap and trade makes no sense for a heavy metal such as mercury that is often deposited relatively close the source and creates toxic hotspots,” said Reopelle.

“Wisconsin is also falling behind in addressing mercury in products such as thermostats, switches and relays,” said Reopelle. “Many states, including Illinois have established dates to phase out the use of mercury in products where cost effective alternatives are available. This is a relatively easy thing to do and should have been done long ago.”

###

Clean Wisconsin, an environmental advocacy organization, protects Wisconsin’s clean water and air and advocates for clean energy by being an effective voice in the state legislature and by holding elected officials and corporations accountable. Founded in 1970 as Wisconsin’s Environmental Decade, Clean Wisconsin exposes corporate polluters, makes sure existing environmental laws are enforced, and educates citizens and businesses. On behalf of its 10,000 members and its coalition partners, Clean Wisconsin protects the special places that make Wisconsin such a wonderful place to live, work and play. Phone: 608-251-7020, Fax: 608-251-1655, Email: info@cleanwisconsin.org, Website: www.cleanwisconsin.org.