As the new home of NJPIRG's environmental work, Environment New Jersey can be contacted regarding this news release.
NJPIRG strongly supports
the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s efforts to limit
mercury emissions from industrial facilities.
Mercury, a neurotoxin so
potent that a spoonful can contaminate a mid-sized lake, poses significant health
risks to New Jersey residents. It has been known since the 1950s that releases
of mercury from human activity can accumulate in fish and other wildlife. All
of New Jersey’s waterways have warnings not to eat certain fish from those
waterways because of mercury contamination. Mercury exposure causes damage to
the brain, kidneys, and the cardiovascular system, and has the greatest impact
on the most vulnerable—young children and pregnant women. In 2002, the
Centers for Disease Control released the findings of a study that showed that
eight percent of women of childbearing age tested above the safe level for mercury.
This would translate to approximately five million women across the country
with elevated levels of mercury, putting an estimated 322,000 newborns at risk.
Exposure to methylmercury interferes with the development and function of the
central nervous system, and prenatal exposure is linked to health effects like
impaired memory ability, and poor performance on tests of attention and language.
NJPIRG participated on the
Second New Jersey Mercury Task Force in 1998, where experts convened to study
the risks of mercury exposure, and we advocated for solutions to lower the risks
of mercury contamination for New Jersey residents, including strict standards
on industrial facilities. NJPIRG was highly disappointed that the findings of
that Task Force did not lead to significant action at the time to reduce the
threat of mercury contamination.
It is imperative that New
Jersey reduces these health risks from toxic mercury contamination. The industrial
facilities to be regulated under the proposed rules, MSW incinerators, HMIW
incinerators, coal-fired boilers, and iron or steel smelters, are among the
largest contributors of mercury contamination, and the new rules could reduce
mercury emissions by up to 1,500 pounds a year. NJPIRG applauds the McGreevey
Administration for this significant step forward to protect the health and safety
of New Jersey residents.
NJPIRG recommends that the
Department of Environmental Protection adopt these regulations as quickly as
possible. NJPIRG does not support the alternative emissions limits, such as
those that were proposed by PSE&G at the public hearing on March 4th. The
health impacts of mercury pollution are too dangerous to allow companies not
to meet the proposed limits. NJPIRG also encourages the Department of Environmental
Protection to consider continuous emissions monitoring to ensure that the limits
are carefully met.
NJPIRG would also like to
note that mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants and other energy sources
are one important reason why New Jersey must continue to promote clean, renewable
sources of energy like wind and solar power to meet our energy needs. NJPIRG
strongly supports a comprehensive, four-pollutant strategy (carbon dioxide,
nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and mercury) to reduce power plant emissions,
both within the state of New Jersey and across the country.
