|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Press Releases Group says NH needs to reduce mercury Paula Tracy Union Leader June 21, 2002 CONCORD - Among New England states making progress toward the reduction of mercury, New Hampshire is falling behind its counterparts, according to a report card issued yesterday. The Granite State received an overall grade of C-minus behind the New England average of C-plus for its efforts to eliminate mercury releases and to protect public health. Maine led the region with a B, while Rhode Island and Connecticut showed the most improvement from last year. Mercury in small amounts can damage a brain starting to form and grow and it becomes a toxin in the environment. It enters the environment primarily through smoke stack emissions from both coal-burning plants and trash-burning facilities. New Hampshire is now posting limits of fish consumption at individual lakes and is beginning to sample smokestacks to get an idea about how much mercury is coming out, but it still has a lot of other measures to implement, environmentalists said. The study is the second annual Zero Mercury Coalition "report card" produced by the New England Zero Mercury Campaign. Doug Bogen, New Hampshire program director for Clean Water Action and a partner in the campaign, said New Hampshire did make some other strides, including the dental mercury waste control bill, which requires dentists to use amalgam separators in their wastewater drains. He called a bill aimed at reducing smoke stack emissions a start but noted it fell short of hopes for mercury reduction in particular. "Our state still has a huge amount of work to do if we are to achieve the goal of mercury elimination within the next decade," Bogen said. Each New England state was graded on a list of 10 action items necessary for eliminating human sources of mercury threatening the environment and food chain. In 1998, Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, along with other New England governors, signed an agreement for "virtual elimination" of mercury emissions. At the same time, the state issued its own "Mercury Reduction Strategy" with numerous action items and a timetable. New Hampshire would likely have received a far better grade, perhaps even a B, if the Legislature had passed House Bill 675, officials said. It would have established certain restrictions on the sale, labeling and disposal of certain mercury-added products and would have set up a criteria for sorting out mercury prior to it entering landfills. The bill lost by only about 30 votes, but Rep. Jay Phinizy, D-Acworth, said he is pleased the bill is in interim study and can be worked on in the coming year. He sees momentum clearly going toward passage. |
|
|
Search & Site Map Contact Us |