Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
teachers, students, and businesses about mercury. A vari-
ety of communication channels have been used to reach
different target audiences, including brochures about health-
ful fi sh consumption distributed at health care clinics and
supermarkets, toll-free mercury hotline numbers, mercury
educational displays and information for schools and other
institutions, and mercury fact sheets made available in hard
copy and on the web (e.g., Maine Bureau of Health, 2004). A
regional mercury-products clearing house and topic hub was
also developed (NEWMOA, 2008c).
The region has taken a number of steps to clarify and
improve communications regarding the safe use of com-
pact fl uorescent lights (CFLs) and their cleanup if broken.
CFLs and other fl uorescent lighting offer excellent energy
effi ciency as compared with regular incandescent lights
and can thus reduce emissions of a number of pollutants,
including greenhouse gases. CFLs also contain mercury,
some of which is released to the air if a bulb is broken,
either accidently during use or upon disposal. To address
health concerns of consumers, MEDEP scientists completed
a research study on mercury releases to indoor air from
broken CFLs prior to and following various cleanup pro-
cedures (Stahler et al., 2008). They found that under some
circumstances, broken CFLs can lead to mercury levels in
indoor air high enough to be of potential concern to young
children and pregnant women. Because of the increas-
ing use of CFLs, some attributable to energy-conservation
efforts supported by the states, the MTF coordinated work
to update and harmonize CFL cleanup guidance across the
region. This effort was completed in the spring of 2008 and
all the New England states now have consistent cleanup
protocols for broken CFLs posted on their websites (e.g.,
MassDEP, 2008). Several states also revised their recom-
mendations for CFL use, encouraging consumers to take
steps to minimize breakage, especially in areas frequented
by young children. The region is also providing ongoing
input on follow-up studies planned by the EPA.
The regional assessment documented that, in the north-
east states, over 10,000 water bodies and over 46,000 river
miles were impaired for fi sh consumption because of mer-
cury. The TMDL assessment concluded that, on a regional
basis, anthropogenic mercury inputs would need to be
reduced by 86-98% for fi sh from the region's freshwaters
to meet the EPA fi sh-tissue consumption criterion for mer-
cury (NEIWPCC, 2007). These TMDL estimates were based
on a regional data base of mercury concentrations in fi sh
and assumed a simple linear relationship between mercury
water-body inputs and fi sh-tissue concentrations across
the region, an approach used in other TMDL assessments
and recommended by the EPA. The document endorsed
the MAP as an initial TMDL implementation plan and
highlighted the need for emission reductions from
upwind sources. The regional TMDL estimates, as well as
similar fi ndings by Minnesota and New Jersey, support
the aggressive reduction goals of the MAP and empha-
size the need for commensurate federal action, includ-
ing emission reductions from coal-fi red utilities greater
than the 70% stipulated under the vacated EPA Clean Air
Mercury Rule.
State Perspectives on Mercury Policy
and Science
Communication and collaboration between research sci-
entists and policy makers has helped inform state initia-
tives addressing mercury as well as other environmental
issues. Although science has played a critical role in state
mercury initiatives, it is important to note that policy
makers and scientists have different informational needs
and operate under different decisional frameworks. In
order for science to effectively inform policy, key policy
drivers and concerns must be identifi ed and the relevant
technical information made accessible and understand-
able. To ultimately solve many environmental issues, poli-
cies and research agendas must be based on an iterative,
adaptive process that allows new scientifi c information
and new policy priorities to be taken into account. This
can be accomplished only if environmental agencies sup-
port key scientifi c research and monitoring and if scien-
tists take the time to effectively communicate their fi nd-
ings to policy makers.
Toward these ends, the states have funded numerous
scientifi c efforts addressing mercury, as summarized previ-
ously, and have supported expanded federal resources in
these areas. Better information on mercury sources, expo-
sures, and trends is needed to ensure that state, federal, and
international mercury policies are successful and effi cient
in reducing adverse impacts.
Given that much regulatory activity addressing mercury
is occurring at the state rather than the federal level, state
agency and organization input should be an integral part
of any national or international mercury monitoring and
research program. As partners in the process, the states
REGIONAL MERCURY TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY
LOAD ASSESSMENT
Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, states are required to develop
total maximum daily load (TMDL) estimates for mercury
inputs to impaired water bodies. A TMDL is a calculation
of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body,
or group of water bodies, can receive and still meet appli-
cable water-quality standards, in this case fi sh that are safe
to eat. An implementation plan to achieve the TMDL is also
required. To comply with this requirement the New England
Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC),
the New England States, and New York completed an innova-
tive regional TMDL for mercury-impaired water bodies pri-
marily impacted by air deposition of mercury (NEIWPCC,
2007). This TMDL built on a statewide TMDL approach com-
pleted by Minnesota and was approved by EPA Regions 1 and
2 on December 20, 2007.
