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State Representative Leon Lillie
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-1188
For more information contact: Christina Gosack 651-296-5524
NEWS COLUMN
Mercury Pollution Threatens Children's Health
In the land of over 10,000 lakes, the fish we catch right here at home is not always safe to eat. That's because mercury, a nerve toxin, is polluting our air and waters and contaminating the fish in our lakes. When a pregnant woman in Minnesota visits her doctor, it has become routine for her to receive a brochure warning her to watch how much fish she eats. You can't taste or smell mercury in fish, but it can harm human health, especially the development of children and fetuses. The larger fish we prize the most, like walleye and northern, are among the most dangerous for pregnant women and children.
So what can we do about mercury pollution? One of the major sources of mercury pollution is coal-burning power plants. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency estimates that Minnesota coal power plants released 1,738 pounds of mercury into the environment in 2005.
The good news is that the technology exists to drastically reduce mercury emissions from coal burning power plants. I am joining others in the House and Senate to support a bill that would require a 90% reduction in mercury emissions from coal burning power plants by 2012.
The costs of inaction would be severe. Already, an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 newborns in Minnesota have levels of mercury in their cord blood associated with learning difficulties. Young children are 4 to 5 times more sensitive to mercury than adults because their nervous systems are still developing. The human and economic costs related to mercury are real, and we must use existing technology now to address this problem.
The governor has recognized the public concern over mercury pollution and is calling for reductions. I am optimistic we can work with the governor and industry to reduce mercury emissions and make the fish caught in our lakes safe enough to eat again. Our children deserve solutions.
For an updated guide to safe fish consumption, including advice for specific lakes and rivers, visit the Minnesota Department of Health website at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/fish/ .
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