DETROIT—In recent U.S. EPA tests of fish caught in Michigan's lakes, every fish sample tested was contaminated with mercury and 56 percent contained mercury levels that exceed EPA's "safe" limit for women of childbearing age, according to a Clear the Air analysis of EPA data released today by the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan (PIRGIM).

"Reel Danger: Power Plant Mercury Emissions and the Fish We Eat" comes as the Bush administration prepares to finalize a federal proposal that would delay significant reductions in mercury emissions from power plants until at least 2018. The Clean Air Act calls for the maximum achievable reductions of such emissions by 2008. The report also comes two years after Governor Granholm made a pledge to eliminate mercury from Michigan's power plants.

"Michigan families deserve more than delays and weak proposals to control toxic mercury pollution," stated Kate Madigan, Environmental Advocate for PIRGIM. "Like the contaminated fish that we cannot eat, the Bush administration should throw back its proposal and start over. Meanwhile, we need the Granholm administration to take immediate action to reduce mercury coming from Michigan's power plants."

"Reel Danger" is based on the first available data from EPA's ongoing National Study of Chemical Residues in Lake Fish Tissue. From 1999-2001, EPA collected approximately two composite samples of one predator fish species and one bottom-dwelling fish species at 260 lakes, for a total of 520 composite samples, or 2,547 fish. The results are startling.

Nationally, 55 percent of the fish samples exceeded EPA's safe mercury limit for women and 76 percent exceeded the safe limit for children under age three. The safe limits are based on women and children eating two meals of fish per week, and are set at .13ppm (parts per million) for women and .07ppm for children under age three. 100 percent of the predator fish samples from Michigan's lakes contained mercury levels exceeding this "safe" limit.

Samples were taken from eleven lakes in Michigan, including:
- A sample of four Lake Trout from Torch Lake were found to have an average mercury concentration of 0.59ppm,
- Walleye sampled from Houghton Lake had an average mercury concentration of 0.39ppm, and
- Rock Bass sampled from Oakland County's White Lake had an average mercury concentration of 0.18ppm.

The report also looks at another set of data that was collected by the state of Michigan from more than 100 lakes and rivers, and found that 86 percent of lake trout, 98 percent of largemouth bass, 95 percent of Northern pike, 92 percent of smallmouth bass, and 88 percent of walleye tested exceeded the safe mercury limit for women.

"People should be able to eat fish caught in Michigan's lakes and rivers without worrying that it is contaminated with mercury," said Sam Washington, Executive Director for the Michigan United Conservation Clubs. "We have the technology to remove mercury from its largest source, and we should not wait to use it."

Mercury is toxic to the developing brain, and exposure in the womb can cause learning disabilities, developmental delays, and other serious health problems in children. EPA estimates that one in six women of childbearing age has enough mercury in her blood to put her child at risk. This breaks down to 1700 babies born every day in the U.S. with dangerously high levels of mercury. Eating contaminated fish is the primary way people are exposed to mercury.

"Prevention is the best prescription and it makes the most financial sense for Michigan, too. Investing in mercury reduction technologies will save the state in future health care, special education and juvenile justice costs," said Alana Aronin, a Child Health Policy consultant and a mother of two. "I will be mad if our federal and state administrations do not invest in the safety of my children when there are proven tools to protect them."

Power plants are the single largest source of mercury emissions. Other industrial sources have reduced their emissions of mercury by more than 90 percent within a few short years, but power plants continue to emit unlimited amounts of mercury into the air. The technology is available to reduce power plant mercury emissions by at least 90 percent.

Michigan released 2,714 pounds of mercury into the air in 2002, according to the most recent EPA data. Detroit Edison's Monroe power plant alone emitted 618 pounds of mercury into the air in 2002, ranking the plant 33rd out of nearly 500 plants nationwide for the highest mercury emissions (among the 10% most pollution plants nationwide).

"Michigan's power plants can reduce mercury by 90 percent by the end of the decade, and Governor Granholm should require them to do so," added Madigan. "There is overwhelming support across Michigan for mercury reductions, and every day we delay means more children exposed to toxic mercury."

This Saturday, August 7, citizens will gather in Royal Oak at a rally to demonstrate the overwhelming public support for the governor to take action on mercury in Michigan.

PIRGIM is a non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organization working throughout Michigan to preserve the environment, protect consumers and promote good government. www.PIRGIM.org.