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 Bush Administration Makes Dirty Energy Choices for New Mexicans Alternative Energy Could Mean Cleaner Water and Safer Fish Dinners What would you do if you found out that the fish you just caught from the local stream for your family dinner was full of toxic mercury? Would you know why? Would you feed that fish to your children or family? Probably not. Mercury enters our waters after it is released into our atmosphere from coal-burning power plants, the single largest source of unregulated mercury pollution in the United States.1 Once in the atmosphere, it is converted to a toxic form of mercury that accumulates in fish and shellfish.
New estimates by the EPA indicate that one in six American women of childbearing age has mercury levels in her blood high enough to put her baby at risk.2 Mercury exposure at toxic levels can also cause damage to vision, coordination, nervous system and brain function in adults and children.3 Fetuses are particularly vulnerable to mercury poisoning which can inhibit development and cause severe birth defects. Pregnant women are advised against eating fish with elevated levels of mercury both before and during gestation. In 2001, the EPA estimated that if current clean air laws were enforced in conjunction with the use of technology, mercury pollution would decrease by 90% by 2008.4 But a recent Bush administration proposal leaves families at risk to the ill effects of mercury from the fish they eat. Rather than enforcing the laws already in place, the Bush administration wants to implement a plan that allows three times more mercury pollution into the air for decades longer than enforcement of the current laws would allow. As of 2002, 45 states and territories, including the state of New Mexico, have issued fish consumption advisories warning consumers not to eat fish caught in certain lakes, streams, and other water bodies.5 The last decade has shown a steady, nationwide increase in the percentage of water bodies under fish consumption advisories for mercury.6 In March, 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the EPA issued a joint warning to pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, and nursing mothers against eating certain types of mercury-laden fish.7
More Mercury Coming To New Mexico Instead of investing in cleaner, more innovative energy sources like wind and solar power, the Bush administration has focused most of their energy policies on older more polluting technologies like more coal-fired power plants. While President Bush signed a Renewable Energy Standard (RES) into law for the State of Texas during his time as governor, he has adamantly opposed amendments that would set a national RES on power generation. The Texas RES turned the State of Texas from a renewable energy laggard into a national leader in renewable energy. Renewable Energy Standards encourage the use of greener energy technologies by setting standards on the percentage of energy that is generated from the sun, wind, and earth. A national RES would stimulate the market for renewable energy, making it even more affordable, easier to obtain, and thus more widely used. A national RES to provide 20% of the U.S. electricity from renewable sources would have virtually no impact on electricity prices and could save consumers nationwide as much as $580 million by 2020.11 Building more coal-fired power plants will only place more people at risk of health problems. By investing in New Mexico's renewables, the Bush administration could help foster a clean environment, while creating jobs. When wind turbines are erected, jobs are created. If energy companies commit to using union labor and paying employees a family-wage with benefits, New Mexico's workers and the overall economy would benefit. There is a better way to clean up the mercury contamination plaguing New Mexico's water bodies. We know how to lower mercury pollution and protect our families. The technology exists to reduce mercury pollution. Why is the Bush administration undermining our air pollution protections while at the same time warning women to limit their consumption of mercury-laden fish? For more information contact:
Washington, D.C. Office:
Illustration: Adrian Cotter/Sierra Club collection; all rights reserved.
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