For Immediate Release: October 14, 2003, 10 AM

Contacts: Aaron Viles, U.S. PIRG 504-259-7664

Micah Walker, Alliance for Affordable Energy 504- 525-0778

Cyn Sarthou, GRN 504-525-1528

Darryl Malek-Wiley, Sierra Club 504-427-1885

Dr. Barry Kohl, Louisiana Audubon Council 504-861-8465

Warnings for Mercury in Fish Blanket State’s Waters

Controversial Bush Plan Would Delay Cleanup for at least 10 Years

New Orleans, LA —In 2003, according to a new U.S. PIRG report released today by the Gulf Restoration Network, the Sierra Club and the Alliance for Affordable Energy: Louisiana issued warnings against eating fish due to mercury contamination covering 107,609 acres of its bayous 24,460 acres of its lakes and 915 miles of its rivers.

“U.S. PIRG’s analysis finds that mercury contamination is a danger at many of Louisiana’s favorite fishing spots,” said Darryl Malek-Wiley of the Sierra Club. “Mercury contaminates our environment, puts public health at risk, and leaves Louisianans fishing for trouble.” Continued Wiley.

State health departments issue fish consumption advisories to warn people to limit or avoid consumption of contaminated fish. Mercury is a dangerous toxic metal, especially for children. Exposure to mercury can cause attention and language deficits, impaired memory, and impaired visual and motor function in children. Scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimate that one in six women of childbearing age in the U.S. has levels of mercury in her blood high enough to put 630,000 of the four million babies born each year at risk of health problems due to mercury exposure.

Mercury contamination is a threat to recreational fishing. In 2001, Louisiana recreational anglers spent $703,373,000 fishing. Louisiana ranks 13th in the country for money spent on recreational fishing.

Power plants are the nation’s single largest source of mercury pollution, contributing 41 percent of U.S. mercury emissions. Big Cajun 2, in New Roads, is the 11th highest emitting power plant in the country.

“Fishing for Trouble” analyzes 2003 state data on fish consumption advisories due to mercury contamination. Key findings of the report include:

• Nationwide, there were advisories issued covering more than 13.1 million acres of lakes and 767,000 miles of river. Compared to 2002, these were increases of 67% for rivers and 6% for lakes.

• Louisiana issued new warnings against eating fish due to mercury contamination covering 5,294 acres of its lakes and 157 miles of its rivers, covering 28% more of its lakes and 21% more of its rivers in 2003 compared to 2002. Louisiana has issued advisories covering 107,609 acres of its bayous 24,460 acres of its lakes and 915 miles of its rivers.

• Every major stream in the Lake Pontchartrain watershed now has a mercury advisory

• Louisiana strengthened warnings against eating fish due to mercury contamination covering 142 miles of its rivers in 2003.

-more-

"Our favorite fishing places are under advisories, and our favorite fish to eat are becoming too contaminated to feed to our children," said Darryl Malek-Wiley, an organizer with the Delta Chapter of the Sierra Club.. "There are even advisories in the Atchafalaya Basin, Henderson Lake, and Toledo Bend. We know the sources, and we need to act to stop mercury emissions to our air."

U.S. PIRG’s report comes as the Bush administration prepares to finalize a highly controversial proposal that would let power plants emit six to seven times more mercury over the next decade than the Clean Air Act allows and delay meaningful reductions until 2018, at the earliest. Moreover, the plan allows facilities to buy mercury pollution credits from facilities located far away instead of reducing their own emissions, thus increasing the risk of creating and exacerbating toxic hotspots. Other industrial sources have reduced their mercury emissions by more than 90 percent within a few short years, but power plants continue to emit unlimited amounts of mercury into the air. The technology is available to reduce power plant mercury emissions by at least 90 percent by 2008, as the law requires.

“Rather than take action to solve this serious public health problem, the EPA and the current administration is putting off for at least 10 years what they should do today,” stated Micah Walker Parkin, the Program Director with the Alliance for Affordable Energy, who is also a young mother and brought her 10 month-old baby, Maia to the event to underscore the risk mercury poses to young children.

"Five State Parks and four National Wildlife Refuges now have mercury advisory streams," said Dr. Barry Kohl of the Louisiana Audubon Council, "we have to do something to protect Louisiana's recreational resources. We need to seek out the sources of all the pollution."

The groups called on the Bush administration to abandon its mercury-trading proposal and faithfully implement the Clean Air Act by finalizing a rule that reduces mercury emissions from power plants by at least 90% from existing levels by 2008.

“With Louisiana faced with a gulf-wide advisory for Kingfish, we truly need to be aggressive in limiting mercury emissions into the environment,” said Cynthia Sarthou, Executive Director of the Gulf Restoration Network, who hosted the press conference.

“The Bush administration’s mercury plan is too little, too late. They should stop letting polluters off the hook, and substantially strengthen their plan to reduce mercury emissions from power plants,” said U.S. PIRG’s Jeff Mika.

30-30-30