The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

Mike Erlandson, Chair Tarryl Clark, Associate Chair

255 East Plato Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55107

Phone: 651-293-1200 Toll Free: 800-999-7457 Fax: 651-251-6325

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: DFL Communications, 651-293-1200

April 20, 2004

Mercury Rising: President Bush Puts Minnesota Families, Natural Resources at Risk

Duluth – Duluth City Council Member Donny Ness and Institute for a Sustainable Future Director Jamie Harvie held a joint news conference today to discuss the Bush Administration’s policies on mercury and the environment. Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that Bush officials altered Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) documents to downplay the health risks of mercury.

“It is almost unbelievable that President Bush’s staff actually denied clear truth and science – that mercury is poisonous, that it is dangerous to people – for apparently political reasons,” said Ness.

The New York Times story on the Administration’s attempted cover-up follows scientific evidence that American women and their children suffer from elevated levels of mercury, a toxin that is known to cause developmental problems, and on top of recent warnings that women and children should avoid eating certain fish that have become contaminated with mercury. Bush’s EPA has proposed relaxing rules on acceptable levels of mercury produced by coal-fired power plants. The developments reinforce existing evidence that President Bush ignores scientific evidence, and that he chooses to jeopardize the health and well being of Americans in favor of polluters.

Harvie, an expert on the effects of mercury, noted that, “Pregnant women are at particular risk, from high levels of mercury in our water and air. Mercury exposure can harm the function and development of the central nervous system, which puts unborn and young children at great risk of exposure. About 320,000 babies born every year are at risk of developmental problems because of prenatal mercury exposure.”

Harvie added, “It is also very upsetting that Minnesota leads the nation in mercury warnings not to eat fish. Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes and generations of Minnesotans go together to ‘the lake’ to fish and enjoy our lakes. Our lakes and fishing is an integral part of our way of life here in Minnesota and a precious natural resource. It is just plain wrong that Minnesotans are so seldom able to eat the fish we catch.”

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President Bush’s Staff Altered EPA Reports to Downplay Health Risks.

“Throughout an E.P.A. draft of the proposed regulations circulated in November, a White House staff member crossed out the word ‘confirmed’ from the phrase describing mercury as a ‘confirmed public health risk.’ In another case, a toxicologist with the Office of Management and Budget recommended changes to a sentence saying children exposed to mercury in the womb ‘are at increased risk of poor performance on neurobehavioral tests.’ The final sentence that was published said children ‘may be at increased risk.’ That pattern was repeated a number of times throughout regulations where ‘are’ or ‘can’ was changed to ‘may.’” [New York Times, 4/7/04]

Recent Reports Warned American Women Against Eating Fish Because of High Mercury Levels That May Harm Their Babies. Exposure to even low levels of mercury in utero can cause developmental problems and difficulties with visual and motor integration. In March 2004, the federal government warned pregnant and nursing women and young children against eating more than a limited amount of canned albacore “white” tuna because of potential hazards from mercury in the fish. The FDA also told women of childbearing age to avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish because of high mercury levels. [USA TODAY, April 8, 2004; Washington Post, 3/20/04]

Toxic Water: 984 Mercury Warnings in Minnesota Not to Eat Fish – led the nation. Mercury exposure can harm the function and development of the central nervous system, which puts unborn and young children at great risk of exposure. About 320,000 babies born every year are at risk of developmental problems because of prenatal mercury exposure. In 2002, there were 984 fish consumption advisories in Minnesota. President Bush is putting our families and environment at risk. [Source: US Public Interest Research Group, Fishing for Trouble, June 2003]

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