LANSING - Deer Lake near Marquette in the northern part of Michigan has game fish with the highest levels of mercury pollution detected in the state, according to a new report by the State Environmental Leadership Program (SELP) released today by the Michigan Environmental Council. Together, the groups released a "top 10" list of Michigan lakes with the highest levels of mercury in their fish. Emitted from coal-burning power plants, mercury is a neurotoxin that has been linked by scientists to development disabilities in children.

The new report analyzes state-collected fish tissue data samples in order to identify Michigan lakes with mercury present at higher than safe levels for anglers and others who consume fish caught in the state's lakes and streams. Even though mercury is a problem for anglers on a statewide basis, fish in some lakes in Michigan are considerably more polluted than those in others. The report by Michigan Environmental Council and SELP emphasizes the steps that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can take now to abate nearly all of the mercury pollution crisis that is ruining the lakes and streams in Michigan and the rest of the nation.

The 10 worst mercury-polluted lakes (in terms of fish tissue analysis) in Michigan are as follows:

1. Deer Lake, Marquette County
2. Chaney Lake, Gogebic County
3. Carp River, Eagle Mills Pump House
4. Craig Lake, Baraga County
5. Escanaba River, Greenwood Reservoir
6. Lake Michigamme, Marquette County
7. Pine Lake, Barry County
8. Menominee River, Sturgeon Falls Impoundment
9. Todd Lake, Osceola County
10. Barton Lake, Kalamazoo County

Michigan Environmental Council Policy Specialist David Gard said: "People in Michigan need to know that some lakes are worse than others when it comes to mercury in fish. The answer is not to fish less - it is for the EPA to do more to curb mercury pollution. People who are concerned the levels of mercury in fish in Michigan need to urge Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to crack down on mercury pollution - not allow through rules that would permit mercury pollution to get even worse."

Keith Reopelle, coordinator, State Environmental Leadership Program, said: "The last thing we're suggesting is to avoid these lakes. The answer is to do all we can to reduce the mercury coming from power plants, and follow the state's advisories; but not to fish any less. People should understand that the mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants impacts special places, lakes and rivers they use and enjoy, and EPA is not doing nearly as much as they could to protect them.

How do Michigan's lakes stack up when it comes to mercury pollution?
To answer that question, the State Environmental Leadership Program and Michigan Environmental Council requested and received all of fish tissue testing data for mercury levels generated by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Fish of a variety of species have been collected from 218 lakes and rivers and tested for mercury the department.

SELP then analyzed the mercury level data for several popular gamefish species - largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye and northern pike - and ranked the Michigan lakes and rivers in order of average mercury concentration across these fish species. Waters where less than three fish of these species were tested were dropped from the analysis to guard against misleading results due to small sample size.

The EPA has established a reference dose - a so-called "safe" daily dose of mercury - of just 0.1 micrograms of methylmercury per kilogram of body weight per day. This dose represents the amount of methylmercury that EPA believes can be ingested on a daily basis over the course of a lifetime without adverse health effects, based on current scientific knowledge. In 2000, the National Academy of Sciences affirmed that EPA's reference dose "is a scientifically justifiable level for the protection of public health."

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a recent study that for the first time measured mercury levels in the blood of women and children across the country and found that about one in six - nearly 16 percent - of women of childbearing age have mercury levels above what is considered safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This translates to 4.7 million women of childbearing age nationwide with potentially unsafe levels of mercury and approximately 630,000 newborns in the nation who are at risk of neurological and developmental health impacts each year.

The SELP/Michigan Environmental Council report notes that the EPA could nearly wipe out mercury pollution from power plants in Michigan, but it is not taking steps to do so. The Agency has proposed a regulation requiring a 70 percent reduction in mercury from coal-burning power plants by 2018 with a trading scheme that would allow utilities to buy their way out of making some or all of those reductions. Environmental groups have pointed out that the existing Clean Air Act requires the maximum achievable reductions of mercury - a 90 percent reduction of mercury emissions from coal plants by 2008 - and does not allow for the trading scheme.

Anglers and others concerned about the pollution of Michigan's lakes would be well advised to support efforts to curb the mercury pollution to the maximum extent possible - and as quickly as possible.

ABOUT THE GROUPS

The Michigan Environmental Council (MEC) provides a collective voice for the environment at the local, state and federal levels. Working with our member groups and their collective membership of nearly 200,000 residents, MEC is addressing the primary assaults on Michigan's environment; promoting alternatives to urban blight and suburban sprawl; advocating for a sustainable environment and economy; protecting Michigan's water legacy; promoting cleaner energy; and working to diminish environmental impacts on children's health.

Located in Madison, WI., the State Environmental Leadership Program (SELP) is an alliance of more than 50 independent, nonprofit, public interest, multi-issue environmental advocacy organizations that focus on state-level policy. The program's goal is to strengthen state environmental movements by enhancing the organizational capacity and policy work of SELP's member organizations through network collaboration.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The SELP report is available online at www.mecprotects.org on September 22, 2004. A streaming audio replay of a related news event will be available by 5 p.m. on the same day.