On Monday, the House sent to the President my legislation to ban the export of toxic mercury.  I was pleased to work with Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to introduce and pass, the Mercury Market Minimization Act (S. 906/H.R. 1534).

This bill will eliminate a key source of mercury from reaching the global market.  Mercury is a potent neurotoxin hazardous to human health, especially for infants, young children, and women who are pregnant or nursing.  As much as one-third of the mercury air pollution entering the U.S. comes through atmospheric transport from Asia, where extensive artesinal mining using mercury releases it into the environment.  Much of the fish Americans eat, including tuna, comes from waters off the coast of Asia and from South America where such artesinal mining is widespread.

In addition to banning the export of mercury, the bill also directs the Department of Energy to designate a facility to accept mercury from private sector sources to ensure its safe storage.  The Natural Resources Defense Council, the Environmental Council of States, the American Chemistry Council (ACC), the Chlorine Institute and the National Mining Association are among the advocacy groups which have called for the establishment of such a repository.

ACC President and CEO and former Rep. Cal Dooley (D-CA) commented on the diversity of the coalition.  “Today, Congress passed an important piece of legislation, the Mercury Market Minimization Act of 2008, by working in a bipartisan manner and with broad-based stakeholder input.”

A broad coalition of environmental and public health organizations in the U.S., including the American Medical Association, the American College of Preventive Medicine, and the Nature Conservancy, support this legislation.  There is also a growing international consensus to curb mercury exportation.  The European Commission has proposed to ban the export of elemental mercury by 2011, and the European Parliament has proposed a ban by 2010.  The United Nations’ Environment Program Governing Council has also considered banning the export of mercury.  I am pleased that the U.S. has taken the lead by passing the Mercury Market Minimization Act.

We still have much to do to end mercury pollution, and I will continue to fight for passage of my legislation to establish a nationwide mercury pollution monitoring system and for legislation I support requiring utilities to reduce their mercury emissions.  For 14 years, an advisory has warned Mainers not to eat or to limit their consumption of locally caught fish.  Maine has enacted strict state legislation, but only federal law can control pollution resulting from atmospheric transport of mercury still in widespread use elsewhere in the world.  Mainers, and all Americans, deserve to know that they can safely eat the fish they catch in our nation’s lakes, rivers, and streams without fear of toxic mercury contamination.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 at 2:14 pm and is filed under Uncategorized .