Mercury Pollution in NH and VT Lakes

By Mark Bevis on Monday, December 15, 2003.

listen:

THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION TUESDAY (TODAY) IS EXPECTED TO RELEASE NEW REGULATIONS TO CLEAN UP MERCURY POLLUTION FROM ELECTRIC UTILITIES.

BUT ENVIRONMENTALISTS ARGUE THE CHANGES WILL ALLOW INDUSTRY TO POLLUTE MORE AND LONGER.

LAST WEEK THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION SAID IT IS STILL WORKING ON ITS NEW REPORT ON THE RISKS OF EATING FISH CONTAMINATED WITH MERCURY.

THE DRAFT REPORT SAYS WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT, NURSING, OR PLANNING TO BE PREGNANT SHOULD NOT EAT SHARK, SWORDFISH, KING MACKERER OR TILEFISH.

FOLLOWING ON THOSE STORIES COMES A NEW REPORT ABOUT MERCURY POLLUTION IN THE GRANITE STATE.

NEW HAMPSHIRE PUBLIC RADIO?S MARK BEVIS HAS MORE.

To see the research from Hubbard Brook Click Here

FOR THE FIRST TIME, SCIENTISTS FROM THE HUBBARD BROOK RESEARCH FOUNDATION HAVE QUANTIFIED MERCURY POLLUTION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND VERMONT.

THEY?VE SYSTEMATICALLY TESTED THE WATER, SEDIMENT, AND FISH IN LAKES IN THE TWO STATES AND COME UP WITH SOME STARTLING RESULTS.

TAPE:

THAT?S DR. CHARLES DRISCOLL. HE?S A PROFESSOR OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY.

HE?S ALSO ON THE BOARD AT THE HUBBARD BROOK RESEARCH FOUNDATION.

DRISCOLL SAYS BECAUSE THE LAKES ARE IN FORESTED REGIONS, HE BELIEVES THE POLLUTION CAME FROM ATMOSPHERIC SOURCES.

TAPE:

THAT PROFESSOR CHARLES DRISCOLL WITH THE HUBBARD BROOK RESEARCH FOUNDATION.

HIS FINDINGS WILL BE PUBLISED IN THE UPCOMING VOLUME OF THE SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY

FOR NHPR NEWS THIS IS MARK BEVIS.