Fishing for Trouble: How Toxic Mercury
Contaminates Our Waterways and Threatens Recreational
Fishing
June 2003
U.S. PIRG Education Fund
Executive Summary
|
News Release
Download the full report. (815
KB, PDF)
Download the addendum. (71 KB,
PDF)
Download fact sheet on D.C.
Waterways and Mercury. (17 KB, PDF)
NOTE ON MARYLAND STATEWIDE ADVISORIES
The Clear the Air Report, Fishing for Trouble,
prepared by U.S. PIRG, surveyed EPA's most recent fish
consumption advisory data across the country. It found
that in 2001 Maryland issued a statewide advisory,
warning the general population to limit consumption of
large and smallmouth bass from all rivers and streams.
The Maryland Department of the Environment states on its
website that its statewide advisory for rivers and
tributaries applies only for women who are pregnant or
might become pregnant and children. It recommends that
these populations limit consumption of these fish to
eight meals (6 oz., for women, 3 oz. for children) per
month. The discrepancy as to which population this
advisory applies has been reported to the EPA and
Maryland and is being investigated. This does not change
this report's findings that there are 77,965 acres of
lakes and 17,000 acres of rivers under advisory.
Executive Summary
Our environment, and now our food supply, is becoming
increasingly contaminated with mercury, an extremely
dangerous toxic chemical. When mercury is ingested in
its organic form, methylmercury, it can lead to
neurological damage, especially in children. Health
impacts of exposure to mercury include attention and
language deficits, impaired memory, inability to process
and recall information, and impaired visual and motor
function. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
estimated in its January 2003 study that 8% of American
women of childbearing age have elevated levels of
mercury in their bodies from eating contaminated fish.
This means that approximately 322,000 newborns are at
risk of neurological problems due to exposure in
utero.
Mercury Contamination is a Widespread and Growing
Concern
Currently, 43 states have advisories in effect for
mercury-contaminated fish, warning the general
population or sensitive subpopulations to reduce or
avoid consumption, compared to only 27 states in 1993
and 39 states in 1997. This is nearly a 60% increase in
10 years. An analysis of EPA data from December 31, 2001
to December 31, 2002 found that:
•
State agencies have 2,148 active mercury advisories in
effect for at least 12,111,733 acres of lakes (including
statewide advisories), or almost 30% of all lake acres;
453,101 miles of river (including statewide advisories),
or almost 13% of all river miles; 15,639 miles of
coastal areas (not including statewide advisories);
2,333 miles of our Great Lake coasts and tributaries;
and 166,534 acres of bayou.
•
19 states (Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana,
Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and
Wisconsin) have issued statewide advisories for all of
their inland freshwater lakes and/or rivers for at least
one species of fish. Illinois, Florida, and Rhode Island
have added, and North Carolina has rescinded, statewide
advisories for inland waterways in the last year.
•
11 states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine,
Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Rhode
Island, South Carolina, and Texas) have issued statewide
advisories for their entire coastal areas for at least
one species of fish, with Rhode Island being the most
recent state to issue such advisories.
•
States have issued mercury advisories covering a greater
area than ever before. Since 2001, the number of river
miles under advisory for mercury has increased by 9% (up
from 414,973 miles in 2001), and the number of lake
acres under advisory for mercury has increased by 19%
(up from 10,179,247 acres in 2001).
Recreational Fishing at Risk
Fish consumption advisories for mercury cover a larger
geographic area than ever before, putting recreational
fishing in jeopardy. Fish consumption advisories cause
many anglers to reduce the number of days they fish,
choose other locations to fish, and take fewer overall
fishing trips. Thus, not only does mercury threaten the
health of those who eat the fish caught, but a damaged
recreational fishing industry could take its toll on
national and state economies.
Even a small dent in the recreational industry could
mean large economic losses. According to the American
Sportfishing Association and the National Fish and
Wildlife Service, in 2001, recreational fishing:
•
Generated more than $35.6 billion in expenditures;
•
Generated more than $116 billion in total economic
output;
•
Supported more than one million jobs;
•
Created more than $30.1 billion in household income
(wages and salaries);
•
Added more than $1.9 billion in sales tax revenues;
•
Added more than $470 million in state income tax
revenues; and
•
Generated more than $4.88 billion in federal income tax
revenues.
Five of the top ten states with the most lake acres
under mercury advisory, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida,
Michigan, and Texas, are also in the top ten for the
amount of money spent towards recreational fishing. In
addition, two of the ten states with the largest number
of river miles under advisory, Florida and Ohio, are
also in the top ten for spending on fishing. In fact,
nine of the 19 states with statewide mercury advisories
covering all of their inland lakes or rivers, Florida,
Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, also fall in the top
twenty states for expenditures on recreational fishing.
Of all the money spent on fishing, more than $27.8
billion was spent in states that have active fish
consumption advisories for mercury.
Addressing the Problem at the Source
To protect public health, preserve a critical part of
our diet and ensure the survival of an important
American pastime, we need to dramatically reduce the
mercury released into our environment.
Much of the mercury that ends up on our dinner tables
comes from smokestacks of power plants, waste
incinerators, and other industrial sources. Power plants
are responsible for nearly one-third of man-made mercury
emissions, comprising the largest industrial source of
mercury entering our air. To date, EPA has regulated
mercury emissions from other sources such as
incinerators, but has failed to do so for power plants.
Under the Clean Air Act, EPA is under court order to
propose emission standards for power plants for
hazardous air pollutants, including mercury, by the end
of this year. These standards would go into effect by
January 2008. The standards, known as “maximum
achievable control technology” (MACT) standards, must
reflect the emission rates currently being achieved by
the lowest-emitting sources. Proven technology
demonstrates that power plants can reduce mercury
emissions by 90% using technologies that exist today,
bringing national mercury emissions down from nearly 50
tons per year to only five tons per year.
Unfortunately, EPA has postponed conducting an analysis
of possible emissions reduction scenarios under its
upcoming MACT rule and is instead focusing on its
analysis of a proposed weakening of the Clean Air Act to
allow higher emissions of mercury from power plants. The
Bush administration’s so-called “Clear Skies Initiative”
would repeal the Clean Air Act section that applies to
mercury from power plants, replacing this provision with
a national emissions limit that would delay ultimate
reductions until 2018. Even then, it would allow power
plants to emit three times more mercury than would be
allowed under a strict interpretation of current law.
We
urge the following policies to address the health
hazards posed by mercury in our environment:
1)
U.S. EPA should faithfully implement the Clean Air Act
to reduce mercury emissions from power plants by at
least 90% from existing levels; and
2)
The Bush administration should abandon its so-called
“Clear Skies” air pollution plan.
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