This decision shows that EPA recognizes the serious health damage that exposure to mercury can cause, said Laura Weiss, the Pesticides and Toxics Program Director for the Oregon Environmental Council. Any and all steps that reduce and ultimately eliminate mercury from our environment should be taken, especially when our children s health is at stake. People are most directly exposed to mercury through eating contaminated fish. In Oregon, there are fish consumption advisories due to mercury in nine lakes and rivers, including the entire mainstem of the Willamette River. Mercury emitted into the air settles over waterways and builds up to higher levels in fish.
Mercury impairs fetal development, preventing the brain and nervous system from developing normally.
Children poisoned by mercury can have lower intelligence, impaired hearing and poor coordination. Mercury belongs to a class of chemicals that persist for decades and build up in our bodies and the environment, added Weiss. These chemicals are so dangerous that Governor Kitzhaber has directed the state to eliminate the release of these toxins by the year 2020. The EPA s decision is an important tool in our efforts to eliminate these dangerous chemicals and protect our health and the environment.