US Public Interest Research Group



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		FEBRUARY 3, 1999 10:06 AM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: US Public Interest Research Group Jeremiah Baumann or Liz Hitchcock 202-546-9707 Michael Bender - Mercury Policy Project 802-223-9000

		Report Finds Forty States Advise Limited Fish Consumption Due to Mercury Contamination; Calls State Protections Inadequate; U.S. Tuna Foundation Joins Call for Reduced Mercury Emissions

		WASHINGTON - February 2 - Mercury contamination in at least forty states has reached such high levels that state officials are advising residents to limit their consumption of fish from one or more bodies of water, according to a report released today by U.S. PIRG, Mercury Policy Project, and California Communities Against Toxics. Fishing for Trouble: A Survey of Mercury Contamination in America’s Waterways also finds that systems for issuing advisories vary widely state to state and that many states allow potentially unsafe levels of mercury concentration in fish before warning the public. “Our environment and our food supply are widely and dangerously contaminated with mercury - one of the most hazardous substances known to science," said Jeremiah Baumann, U.S. PIRG Environmental Associate. Eating fish from many lakes and rivers in the U.S. could result in serious health problems, including neurological disorders in children, yet there is no consistent national system for warning the public that their fish may be contaminated. Fishing for Trouble reports that some states do not issue warnings until mercury concentrations in fish reach levels more than five time higher than levels considered safe in other states. In addition to noting the lack of consistent warning systems for potential consumers of freshwater fish, the report calls attention to the lack of information on sources of mercury pollution. It is especially important for children and any woman who could become pregnant to avoid consuming mercury-contaminated fish, but in many states, a woman looking to protect herself or her children may not know the true extent of mercury contamination, said U.S. PIRGs Baumann. In addition, because of a loophole in the federal Right to Know reporting law, the vast majority - more than 90 percent - of mercury emissions go unreported to the public and policy makers. Nowhere can we find information at the local level on where the mercury pollution is coming from. The EPA is currently considering strengthening the federal Right to Know programs reporting requirements for mercury and other substances that persist in the environment and build up in animal and human tissues, but their proposal fails to require complete reporting of mercury releases into the environment. Fishing for Trouble compiles information obtained by survey from state health and environmental agencies. Other findings of the report include: Ten states have issued statewide advisories to limit fish consumption because of mercury contamination: Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Vermont. Twelve states conduct no or very limited monitoring of waterways for mercury contamination in fish: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Sixteen states issue mercury advisories based on an action level of mercury concentration in fish that is likely to be inadequate for protecting public health: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. States with the weakest systems for issuing advisories to sensitive populations include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, South Dakota, Virginia, and Wyoming. Mercury levels have been increasing in the environment at a rate of 1.5 percent per year since 1970 and that spells trouble, said Michael Bender, Executive Director of the Mercury Policy. We strongly urge all levels of government to heed the call of the U.S. Tuna Foundation and work toward the elimination of all mercury emissions from human activities. The U.S. Tuna Foundation, including StarKist Foods, Bumble Bee Seafoods, and Chicken of the Sea International, has joined those calling for a solution to the problem of mercury contamination. They have worked with the Mercury Policy Project to develop a fishing industry resolution calling on all levels of government to reduce and ultimately eliminate mercury emissions from anthropogenic sources. U.S. PIRG and the Mercury Policy Project are calling on the federal and state governments to protect citizens from mercury contamination. Specifically, the groups recommend that: 1) EPA, FDA and state governments should create a thorough and routine system for monitoring mercury contamination, as well as a consistent, effective, and protective system for warning the public about the risks of mercury exposure. 2) EPA and Congress should strengthen the Right to Know program to include complete information on mercury pollution. To protect public health and the environment, EPA must set a zero threshold for reporting of persistent or bioaccumulative substances like mercury. 3) The Clinton Administration and Congress should take steps to reduce and eliminate mercury pollution into the environment, including setting strict mercury emissions standards from polluting sources like coal and oil-fired power plants. The U.S. EPA must stand strong against pressure from polluting industries and strengthen their proposed changes to the Right to Know program, said Jeremiah Baumann. We should eliminate mercury pollution. At a minimum, we have the right to know which polluters are responsible. ### U.S. PIRG is the national advocacy office for the State PIRGs. The State PIRGs are state-based, nonprofit, nonpartisan public interest watchdog groups. The report will be available on our website (www.pirg.org) after 12:00 noon on February 3.