HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Mercury (Hg)
Coal burning power plants are the nation’s biggest mercury polluter, releasing 42 percent of the country’s industrial mercury pollution. Mercury from dirty power plants falls into lakes, streams and oceans, concentrating in fish and shellfish, which are then consumed by people. Air permits for new plants only consider breathable mercury levels at the property line. They do not address this deposition and “bio-accumulation” of mercury.
The list of ailments caused or exacerbated by mercury poisoning is staggering. Neurological disorders are of primary concern, including Autism, ADD/ADHD, diminished IQ, learning disabilities, fine motor problems, mental retardation and epilepsy. Mercury also contributes to kidney disease, heart disease, hearing problems and premature death at very high levels.
In 2007 the EPA began the implementation of a cap and trade program intended to reduce mercury emissions. It was drafted in part by coal lobbyists and was forced upon the agency by political appointees. A federal court recently ruled that it violated the Clean Air Act. There has been speculation for years that the administration intentionally issued regulations that would be defeated in the courts for the purpose of delaying significant mercury reductions for a decade. That is exactly what has happened.
Read the L.A. Times article about the irregularities surrounding the EPA mercury rule
- Watch a video of a neuron exposed to “very low concentrations” of mercury. neuron movie (painfully long download)
- A 2005 study done at the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis reports IQ point losses in children who consume fish. “… the current total cost per annual birth cohort is estimated to be approximately $19.9 billion.” Full Study
- A 2005 National Institutes of Health study found that “between 316,588 and 637,233 children each year have cord blood Hg levels associated with loss of IQ. The resulting loss of intelligence causes diminished economic productivity amounting to $8.7 billion annually (range: $2.2-$43.8 billion, 2000 dollars). Of this total, $1.3 billion (range: $0.1-$6.5 billion) each year is attributable to mercury emissions from American power plants.” Full Study
- Preliminary results from a study of hair samples show that “EPA's limit of 1 microgram of mercury per gram of hair was exceeded in 21 percent (126 out of 597) of women of childbearing age tested”. Read more.
- A recent study at The University of Texas, San Antonio reports that “There was a significant increase in the rates of special education students and autism rates associated with increases in environmentally released mercury.” Full Study
- Mercury and learning disabilities: A PARENT’S GUIDE
- A 2007 study of mercury hotspots concluded that: “Current levels of Hg deposition in the Northeast are 4 to 6 times higher than the levels recorded in 1900. Model estimates suggest that emissions from coal-fired power plants in the study region account for a large fraction of the total Hg deposited.” Full Study.