FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information, Contact:
Keith Reopelle (608) 251-7020
Ted Lind (414) 466-4898
Eric Uram
(608) 257-4994
Just over one week into the fishing season, environmental and fishing groups in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan released a regional report, "Mercury in the Upper Midwest," comparing mercury contamination of gamefish in the three states and calling for regional action to reduce mercury emissions.
Wisconsin's Environmental Decade, Walleyes Unlimited, the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club are the Wisconsin co-sponsors of this report which encourages sportfishing - but advises caution - when eating fish from high-mercury lakes.
"The bottom line is that all three states are loaded with lakes and rivers that are hightly susceptible to mercury contamination from coal-burning power plants and incinerators," said Keith Reopelle, Co-Director of Wisconsin's Environmental Decade. "Consequently, all three states have a strong incentive to work cooperatively to reduce mercury emissions."
"The report is intended to encourage sportfishing, but also urges anglers to follow the fish consumption advisory in their state to protect their families from mercury contamination," said Ted Lind, a Director of Walleyes Unlimited of Wisconsin. Wisconsin and Minnesota issue fish advisories that list individual lakes, 330 and 780 respectively, while Michigan's advisory covers all of their waters.
"Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of mercury emissions in all three states," said Eric Uram with the Midwest Sierra Club. "The utilities have long known that these power plants emit large amounts of mercury. The problem is -- even though they know, they are doing little or nothing to prevent these emissions." In Wisconsin, coal-fired power plants account for about 39% of mercury emissions followed by municipal and medical waste incineration, at 21%, and the Vulcan Chemical Co. in Port Edwards contributing 20%.
"The solution to our mercury problem is certainly not fishing less, but following the fish advisory and reducing emissions at the source throughout the region." - Ted Lind
The report outlines the state's current and proposed mercury reduction policies. Wisconsin and Minnesota have banned the use of mercury in toys, games and tennis shoes. Wisconsin also has a legislative proposal, offered by Senator Brian Burke (D-Milwaukee) and Representative Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah), to cap and reduce mercury emissions from the largest sources including power plants and incinerators.
"The Burke/Kaufert Mercury Cap Bill is an excellent start to addressing the problem outlined in this report, but regional action is needed as well," said Lind. "The solution to our mercury problem is certainly not fishing less, but following the fish advisory and reducing emissions at the source throughout the region."
"You can't tell if a fish is safe or unsafe by looking at it. So we have to work to prevent mercury emissions that end up in our lakes and the fish in them," said Uram. "Because utilities can poison Wisconsin's fishing tourism without affecting their bottom line, and preventing mercury pollution does affect their profits, utilities and state agencies need to hear from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan residents and visitors that they want mercury pollution stopped."
"We hope that this report will start a dialogue on mercury reduction between policy makers in all three states," said Reopelle. "The Governors, state agencies and congressional delegations in all three states need to work in concert to reduce the risk of mercury contamination to our children."
"Mercury emissions, like smog and acid rain, don't respect state boundaries. While a regional focus is critical, we will ultimately need Congress to act on mercury emissions," said Repoelle. "But we can't expect other regions of the country which are impacted less by mercury, to reduce their emissions until we have made a significant commitment to reduce our emissions in the upper Midwest where our lakes and fish are especially vulnerable."
