Archived LHEI Article

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: LOWERING MERCURY LEVELS

JONNA GABERMAN, MD

FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE LONGMEADOW HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE

SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN, MARCH 22, 2004

Mercury is a powerful neurotoxin, which has been linked to the development of learning disabilities in children.  A recent study from the Harvard School of Public Health found irreversible brain damage in teenagers born to women who ate high amounts of seafood that contained mercury.  The EPA now estimates that 630,000 children are born each year at risk for lowered intelligence and learning problems because of unacceptably high mercury levels in their blood.  Mercury emissions to the air and water from trash incinerators and coal plants concentrate in fish.  The mercury in many common products, such as automobile switches, thermostats, and fluorescent bulbs is emitted to the air when the product is disposed of at incinerators, and then falls in the rain into lakes and ponds.

In addition to pressing for emission limits on coal plants in the Midwest, our New England Governors have set a regional strategy to reduce mercury emissions 75% by 2010.  The Mercury Products Bill (H-2482/S-692) being considered by our State House’s Natural Resources Committee would phase out the use of mercury containing products and reduce mercury pollution from trash incinerators, including from our local facility here in Agawam.  Similar bills have passed in our neighboring states, including Connecticut, Maine and Rhode Island, but Massachusetts is lagging behind.

Representative Mary Rogeness has shown leadership on this issue by signing a letter of support for the Mercury Products Bill.  On behalf of concerned parents throughout this district, I’d like to thank Representative Rogeness for her efforts to move the bill forward and urge her to continue to make this important bill’s passage a top priority.  Senator Brian Lees has not yet signed on to a letter of support for this bill.  I hope he will reconsider and take action to protect our children from this preventable cause of learning problems.