Mercury on the rise in Wisconsin's lakes 

 As you know, we’ve been calling on power plant owners to cut their mercury pollution, which is contaminating fish in Wisconsin’s lakes and threatening public health.

And now, through a comprehensive study, we’ve learned that mercury levels are rising in many of Wisconsin’s lakes. This is why we need to act now. The technology is available to reduce mercury pollution by 90 percent, but the utilities are fighting to make sure that they won’t have to clean up their act for another decade.

The 17 coal-fired power plants in Wisconsin release over 2,700 pounds of mercury into our air every year, making them the largest statewide emitters of mercury pollution.

When a power plant’s smokestacks spew mercury, it falls into our waterways, accumulates in aquatic animals and becomes concentrated as it moves up the food chain and into fish that people in Wisconsin eat.

“Mercury exposure poses a significant threat to public health. It is important that we work now to solve this problem,” said Mark Huber, president of the Wisconsin Public Health Association

Although they’re the biggest source of mercury in the state, and despite demonstrations that control technologies are available and affordable, most plant owners have resisted efforts to rein in their mercury pollution.

“To drag our feet on reducing this toxic pollutant is to release years of unnecessary pollution into our environment, putting our children’s health at continued risk,” said Beth McDaniel, Wisconsin Environment clean water associate.

Children are at a heightened risk, as even low doses of mercury can cause irreparable damage to the developing central nervous system. Approximately one in eight Wisconsin women has sufficient levels of mercury in her blood to put an unborn child at risk.

While neighboring states have set aggressive goals for reducing mercury pollution, power plant owners are lobbying to keep Wisconsin from doing the same.

In the summer of 2006, Gov. Jim Doyle directed the Department of Natural Resources to reduce mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants by 90 percent. Now the question is when. With your help, Wisconsin Environment is working to ensure that this goal is met by 2012.

It’s time for the state Legislature to make sure Wisconsin joins other states in standing up to utilities by mandating that power plants reduce their mercury pollution 90 percent by 2012.

Visit our Web site to send a message to your state senator. Let them know you value a safe, healthy, mercury-free environment for our children, and you think they should, too. Go to www.WisconsinEnvironment.org and click on “No More Mercury” to ensure that your voice is heard.