The following fact sheet on the mercury public health scare was released Friday by the U.S. House Committee on Resources:
Unfortunately, nothing reverberates better than a public health scare in today's politics. The alarmist headlines and special interest ads American's have been reading are intended to make them think emissions from U.S. utilities are poisoning American women and children.
With the help of Moveon.org and a handful of other prominent, well-funded special interest groups, a coordinated campaign of harmful misinformation is landing in the hands of the American people.
The truth is, studies reveal that despite these alarmist claims, reducing emissions from U.S. energy sources may only have a negligible effect, if any at all, on mercury levels in fish or the health of the American people. On the contrary, the health benefits of eating fish are clearly documented and scaring the American public away from a very healthy aspect of their diets is a very real threat.
Here are some pertinent facts to consider about the mercury scare:
-- There is no certain link between U.S. mercury emissions and methylmercury levels in fish. Methylmercury in fish, making headlines in the news, is not the same mercury emitted from U.S. power plants.
-- Mercury is naturally occurring in the environment. Mother Nature is the single greatest “polluter†of mercury in the environment. Scientist have found many times over that natural sources, including geysers and volcanoes, ocean venting, soil erosion and forest fires exceed human-caused sources of mercury emissions. Recent studies show approximately 55 percent of mercury emissions into the environment come from Mother Nature (Atmospheric Environment, 2003).
-- U.S. power plants emit only 1 percent of global mercury emissions. Estimates show only 1 percent of total world mercury emissions comes from U.S. utilities (Pacyna et al. 2003, Freidli et al. 2003). Scientists have tracked mercury plumes from Asia across the Pacific Ocean and into the U.S. This is significant as Asia is responsible for about 1/2 of all man-made mercury emissions (EPRI).
Furthermore, a nine year, government-funded study of mercury levels in women (who, incidentally, eat 10 times the amount of fish as the average American) was dismissed by the EPA because it repeatedly found NO harm related to fish consumption and mercury. In fact, the data supports known benefits of eating fish (Environmental Health Perspectives, 1998; Environmental Research, 2000; Lancet, 2003).
Another study performed by Princeton scientists in 2003 compared Pacific tuna from the 1970's with tuna caught today and found that methylmercury levels in the tuna had not changed. Researchers stated computer models predicted a 26 percent increase of methylmercury in the fish. The implications of this study directly refute claims that U.S. power plant emissions are linked to mercury levels in fish (Environmental Science & Technology, 2003).
-- The Clinton Administration Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recommended the cap-and-trade approach supported by the Bush Administration. The Clinton Administration EPA had eight years to regulate mercury under the Clean Air Act and time after time reached the conclusion that mercury emission regulation where not "necessary and appropriate."
Not until December 14, 2000 (1 day after Al Gore conceded the election to George W. Bush) did EPA decide to regulate mercury under the strictest possible control standards (MACT).
Regardless of scare tactics and politically-driven attempts to draw a link between fish consumption and U.S. energy production, science tells the truth. This evidence reveals the holes in the faulty, twisted logic used in the name of “protecting†the American public.
EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt noted yesterday in a speech: “The new technology (to get to 90 percent) is coming, but it is not available and won't be adequately tested until 2010.â€
The United States has drastically reduced mercury emissions since 1990. Continuing that trend, the Bush Administration will offer the first-ever mercury emissions regulation.