LANSING, MI – New mercury reductions announced today by Gov. Jennifer Granholm are a huge step forward in protecting the health of Michigan's children, halting the poisoning of our world-renowned waterways and charting a course that will again make the Great Lakes state's fish safe to eat.

"Mercury, primarily from coal-burning power plants, has put Michiganders – especially infants and children – at risk for too long," said David Gard, energy policy director with the Michigan Environmental Council. "Gov. Granholm's actions today are an affirmation that coal-fired power plants can, and must, utilize state-of-the-art technology to slash mercury releases."

Mercury, a potent neurotoxin, has been linked to lowered IQs, learning disabilities and other health problems that impact hundreds of thousands of children each year.
A study by the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine estimates that mercury exposure costs the nation $8.7 billion annually in health care costs and lost workforce productivity.

In Michigan, eating contaminated fish is the primary route of exposure. Fish consumption advisories exist on every inland lake in Michigan as a result of mercury contamination, and many Great Lakes waters and fish species also carry mercury warnings. Pregnant women or mothers with high mercury levels pass it to fetuses or nursing infants, where it can have devastating effects on the development of fragile nervous systems.

"We are delighted on behalf of the children and mothers of Michigan that the governor has taken this aggressive step to protect public health," said Paul Shaheen, executive director of the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health.

The 90-percent reduction might be achieved sooner than Gov. Granholm's 2015 goal, given recent advances in lower-cost technologies that capture harmful emissions. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has proposed the same reduction by 2009. The Michigan initiative is a significant improvement over sluggish federal mercury reduction rules that require less than 70 percent reductions by 2018 – a target that could be dragged out to 2025 or later when complicated emissions "banking" loopholes are figured in.

The federal rules are the subject of a lawsuit by a coalition of states including Michigan, who contend they are dangerously weak.

"The federal government has dropped the ball," said MEC President Lana Pollack. "Aggressive mercury reductions have been at the top of our agenda – and those of public health and environmental groups across the state – for years. Michigan now joins states like Illinois, Minnesota and Pennsylvania, who are working to keep this deadly contaminant out of our lakes and streams, food sources, and the bodies of our children.
"This will spark investment in 21st Century technologies and create jobs for Michigan workers while also curbing the devastating impact mercury has on the physical and intellectual development of children."

Although mercury is a global problem, studies increasingly show that much of mercury that falls from the sky into waterways is from regional sources. To achieve cuts in Michigan's power plant emissions, electric ratepayers can expect to see an increase of less than $1 per month in the typical residential electric bill.

The eventual payoff in terms of reduced health care costs and the enhancement of Michigan's fishing and tourism industry is incalculable.

"This modest investment now will pay big dividends for future generations, whose mothers will no longer need to consult complicated health advisory tables to see if it's OK to eat a walleye fillet," said Pollack.

This Tuesday, April 18, Michigan Environmental Council will join pregnant mothers, PIRGIM, MDEQ Director Steven Chester and Dr. Phyllis Meadows, director of the Detroit Department of Public Health at a press conference celebrating the positive impacts reduced mercury emissions will have on children's health in Michigan. The event begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Detroit Health Department, 1151 Taylor.

The Michigan Environmental Council represents 72 environmental and public interest organizations with a combined membership of more than 250,000 Michigan residents. It provides research, communications, technical and political support to maintain a strong environmental voice at the local, state and federal levels.

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