The Nation's Top Scientists Speak Out on Mercury Pollution; New Research from Vermont Highlighted

12/15/2003

From: Kathy Fallon Lambert, 603-632-4543 or kfl@ecosysteminfo.com, for the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation

HANOVER, New Hampshire, Dec. 15 -- Today, the Bush Administration is expected to release its new regulations regarding mercury pollution from electric utilities. The details of this rule were previously leaked to the media revealing less stringent standards than expected, delayed implementation and potential mercury trading among power plants.

Today, some of the Nation's top scientists have come together for the first time in response to these announcements, to release new and existing research pointing out the connections between emissions of mercury and mercury in fish and other aquatic life.

"Taken together, this science presents compelling information on the nature, extent and severity of the ecological consequences of mercury pollution associated with air emissions," says Charles T. Driscoll, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Syracuse University and board member of the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation. "With a hazardous pollutant, such as mercury, we hope science will play a central role in informing public policy," he adds.

In Vermont, Neil Kamman, with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and lead author on the new publication Assessment of Mercury in New Hampshire and Vermont Lakes (see Note), says "In this new paper, we estimate that fish in 25 percent of Vermont lakes violate the highest EPA standard for mercury in fish." Most of the mercury in Vermont lakes comes for air pollution sources outside the state that would be affected by the new regulations.

Today, Kamman and his colleagues are releasing new findings and calling attention to recent research from across the U.S. that sheds light on the extent of the mercury problem. Specifically:

-- New research suggests impact to fish is severe. New estimates for the Northeast show that 25 percent of lakes in Vermont and 54 percent of lakes in New Hampshire violate the highest EPA standard for mercury in fish -- demonstrating that the problem is more severe than previously thought. This new publication is "In Press" in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

-- New research shows delays may be harmful. Preliminary results from the "METAALICUS" experiments in Northeast Ontario and experiments in the Florida Everglades suggest that recently deposited mercury is more active in ecosystems than existing mercury - implying that it is important to reduce mercury emissions sooner rather than later in order to limit mercury accumulation in fish and other wildlife. The proposed regulations are expected to delay substantial mercury emission cuts to 2018.

-- Recent study demonstrates the problem can be addressed. Research from the Florida Everglades suggests that reductions in air emissions of mercury have led to rapid decreases in mercury concentrations in fish and wading birds -- benefits can be expected from controlling mercury emissions.

-- New research shows biological hotspots can occur. A nation- wide dataset on loon eggs, recently published in the journal Ecotoxicology, shows that large local mercury emissions can result in extremely high mercury concentrations in nearby loon eggs -- suggesting that biological hotspots of mercury can occur. Hotspots have been identified as a possible consequence of mercury trading.

Despite advances in research, the current national monitoring network for air-borne mercury in the U.S. is insufficient to measure the full impact of the proposed new regulations. The Hubbard Brook Research Foundation has proposed a plan to improve this federal network by investing $2 million in the expansion of the network and increasing the annual operating budget by $1 million/year. This plan was included in the Omnibus Mercury Act introduced in the U.S. Congress earlier this year by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine).

As part of this overall effort to disseminate current research, Dr. Driscoll and the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation have requested a briefing with EPA Administrator Michael Leavitt to present the latest science of mercury pollution.

Note: This paper is slated for publication in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry in 2004.

The Hubbard Brook Research Foundation (HBRF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the understanding and stewardship of terrestrial and associated aquatic ecosystems through scientific research, long-term monitoring, and public education.

Available for Interviews

Neil Kamman, M.S. is an environmental scientist for the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Neil is the science advisor to Vermont's legislative committee on mercury pollution, and is a member of the and the Northeast Loon Study Workgroup. He holds an M.S. degree from the University of Vermont in Water Resources, with an emphasis on the biogeochemistry of mercury.

Charles Driscoll, Ph.D. is a Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Syracuse University and a board member of the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation. Dr. Driscoll has conducted mercury research for over a decade. He has authored more than 200 papers and has a Ph.D. in Environ. Engineering from Cornell University.