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On Earth Day and April 23, PIRGIM and NRDC is placing an ad in the Oakland Daily Press and Macomb Daily thanking Governor Granholm for taking strong action to prevent mercury pollution. Click here to view a larger image of the ad (right). | Click here to download the ad. (PDF, 124 KB)

How You Can Help
On April 17, Gov. Granholm announced that she is requiring power plants to reduce their toxic mercury pollution by 90%. This is a major victory for our health and environment! Please take a moment to thank Governor Granholm for her leadership.

Brief Summary
Mercury is a dangerous toxin that threatens the brain and nervous systems of unborn and young children. EPA data finds that each year as many as 630,000 children are born at risk of health problems, including impaired memory, vision, motor skills, and attention deficits.

The largest source of mercury pollution is power plants. Despite available pollution control technology, Michigan's power plants continue to spew over 2,500 pounds of mercury into our environment each year.

The principal way that people are exposed to mercury is by eating fish. Smokestacks spew mercury pollution into the air, where it rains into our waterways, and accumulates up the food chain in fish. The state of Michigan advises people to limit the fish they eat because of the risks of mercury.

We can't count on action at the federal level because industry has convinced the Bush administration to ignore solutions to mercury contamination. Federal mercury rules delay meaningful reductions until 2025.

In her 2002 campaign, Governor Granholm pledged to stop mercury:

"To clean up our air, [I] will support the phase-out and elimination of mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants."
- Governor Granholm's Securing Michigan's Future plan

Technology is available now to dramatically reduce mercury pollution from power plants. EPA's own scientists have said that current technologies could achieve a 90 percent reduction from power plants.

That's why PIRGIM is urging Governor Granholm to create rule to require Michigan's power plants to reduce their mercury pollution by 90 percent by the end of the decade.

More.

Mercury pollution factsheets
- Mercury Threatens Children's Health
- Mercury Pollution Threatens Michigan's Waterways, Great Lakes

Mercury pollution is a serious problem that threatens public health
- State of Michigan's Family Fish Consumption Guide - "The Michigan Department of Community Health has issued a special advisory for all inland lakes in Michigan due to mercury," urging people to limit the amount of fish they eat.
- EPA: Michigan has worst mercury hot spots in country. A report released by Environmental Defense revealed EPA data finding that Michigan has the second-worst mercury hot spot (location where mercury deposition is greatest) of any state in the country and that the majority of the mercury at those hot spots came from local sources within the state.
- EPA Study Finds Mercury in Every Fish Sample from Michigan's Lakes 8/4/04, PIRGIM news release
- Reel Danger: Power Plant Mercury Emissions and the Fish We Eat 8/4/04, PIRGIM research report
- EPA Pollution Report Reveals High Emissions of Carcinogens, Developmental & Reproductive Toxicants 6/24/04, PIRGIM news release
-Fishing for Trouble: How Toxic Mercury Contaminates Our Waterways and Threatens Recreational Fishing, a report by PIRGIM and Clear the Air

Federal rules will not do enough to protect Michigan
-Michigan Joins Lawsuit Challenging EPA Mercury Rule 8/10/05, PIRGIM news release
- Information on the Bush administration EPA’s proposed mercury rules - created by PIRGIM and the other state PIRGs and affiliated environmental groups
- Hundreds of Thousands Call on Bush Administration to Reverse Course on Toxic Mercury 6/29/04, PIRGIM news release
- EPA To Allow Continued High Levels Of Mercury From Power Plants 12/16/03, PIRGIM news release
- Congress Urges President Bush To Curb Power Plant Mercury Emissions 7/8/03, PIRGIM news release
- U.S. EPA Mercury Web Site

Mercury pollution from Michigan's power plants can and should be stopped
- Fishing for Trouble: How Toxic Mercury Contaminates Fish in U.S. Waterways
- Warnings for Mercury in Fish Blanket State's Waters: Mercury Reduction Stands to Bolster Michigan's $800 Million Recreational Fishing Industry
- Governor Granholm’s Charge to the Michigan Mercury Electric Utilities Workgroup (PDF) - includes the Governor's commitment to phasing out mercury and the charge and timeline of the workgroup (to be completed by March 1, 2004)
- EPA Presentation – Power Point presentation making the case that 90 percent reductions achievable (PDF)
- Technology is Available to Reduce Power Plant Mercury Pollution by 90%. Mercury Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants: The Case for Regulatory Action by The Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM).
- Florida EPA: Reducing mercury emissions has direct and immediate impact on fish contamination A decade long study conducted by the Florida EPA and the U.S. Geological Survey finds that reduction in mercury emissions has a direct and almost immediate effect in reducing the toxic pollutant from the local environment and food chain.

Significant public support exists for stopping mercury pollution
- Michigan Mothers Ask Gov. Granholm to Protect Children's Health this Mother's Day 5/5/05
- Thousands of Michiganders Call for Elimination of Mercury Pollution 8/10/04, PIRGIM news release
- PIRGIM Launches "Mercury-Free Michigan" Campaign 5/3/04, news release
- National Wildlife Federation's Mercury Deposition campaign: Clean the Rain
- National Environmental Trust's Mercury Contamination campaign: Mercury hurts
- Michigan Environmental Council

Mercury Electric Utility Workgroup Report on Mercury Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants
Workgroup Report Says Mercury Reductions Feasible, Necessary