Catskill Mountains Among Hottest Of Mercury Hotspots, Study Shows

[hatrack]

"Mercury falls on almost no place in Northeastern North America more than it does in the Hudson Valley's backyard -- the Catskill Mountains -- according to one of a series of scientific studies about mercury pollution to be published next month. The studies took more than 50 scientists four years, and will be published in a special edition of the scientific journal Ecotoxicology.

The studies compiled and analyzed data from across the Northeast United States and Eastern Canada. The results showed emissions from coal-fired power plants and industry have led to widespread mercury contamination in wildlife -- including many mountainous and rural areas like New York's Adirondack Mountains that surprised scientists. ''Decisions regarding how much to reduce emissions are made in part on how much is deposited. These new findings suggest we need to revisit assumptions made by the EPA to set emissions targets,'' said Eric Miller, president of the Ecosystems Research Group in Norwich, Vt., which contributed to the studies.

Scott Segal, executive director of the industry group Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, did not return several phone calls seeking comment about these studies.

Ten of 13 species of fish analyzed -- including white perch, lake trout, small- and largemouth bass -- were highly contaminated across the study area. People are exposed to toxic mercury primarily by eating contaminated fish. In humans, mercury can damage brain development, learning and neurological functioning, especially on developing fetuses and children. The effects documented in wildlife are similar."

EDIT

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/today/localnews/stories/lo031405s2.shtml

[Ian David]

1. Does anyone have a map of mercury distribution levels?

I'd like to see it compared to a red-state / blue-state map.

[gbwarming]

2. Heaviest in the Northeast - high population density, coal power, industry

From the Clinton era EPA:
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/112nmerc/mercury.html
Of the estimated 144 Megagrams (Mg) (158 tons) of mercury emitted annually into the atmosphere by anthropogenic sources in the United States, approximately 87 percent is from combustion point sources, 10 percent is from manufacturing point sources, 2 percent is from area sources, and 1 percent is from miscellaneous sources. Four specific source categories account for approximately 80 percent of the total anthropogenic emissions--coal-fired utility boilers (33 percent), municipal waste combustion (19 percent), commercial/industrial boilers (18 percent), and medical waste incinerators (10 percent). It should be noted that the U.S. EPA has finalized mercury emission limits for municipal waste combustors and medical waste incinerators. When fully implemented, these emission limits will reduce mercury emissions from these sources by an additional 90 percent over 1995 levels.

All four of the most significant sources represent high temperature waste combustion or fossil fuel processes. For each of these operations, the mercury is present as a trace contaminant in the fuel or feedstock. Because of its relatively low boiling point, mercury is volatilized during high temperature operations and discharged to the atmosphere with the exhaust gas.




(Edit)
2000 census Population density. I think Western states are lower in part because they use more hydroelectric and natual gas for electric power in addition to the obvious difference in population density.

[Ian David]

3. Fuck. We're screwed. He wants to make blue-state people stupid

Less-educated people are more likely to vote Republican.

And right here in Massachusetts is the middle of a big red pool of Mercury.

[gbwarming]

4. More stupid than 2000 and 2004?

I don't see much correlation there, but check out interesting red/blue map developed to show effects of population density along with voting ratio. Wild!
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/

[givemebackmycountry]

5. Man, I hated reading that article...

That's sad.

I lived in Jewett, New York in the Catskill Mountains.
I used to work in the town of Catskill.

Living on the "mountain top" as we used to call it was the most satisfying and wonderful time of my life.
I loved it up there, it was so peaceful and beautiful.

My sister who lives in N.E. Pennsylvania was just in the Catskills two weeks ago skiing at Hunter Mountain.

Here...

[NNadir]

6. How is it that there's never been massive protests to shut coal plants?

What, exactly, are people thinking?

Maybe that's the problem, they're thinking through the mercury.