Number: 1996-02
WHEREAS, the Great Lakes, Lake Champlain, Chesapeake Bay, Puget Sound and coastal areas are precious natural and economic resources and are singled out for protection from pollution under the “Great Waters” provisions of the U.S. 1990 Clean Air Act; and
WHEREAS, poisonous pollutants and nutrients are put into the air by power plants, waste incinerators, factories, farms, motor vehicles and other sources. These pollutants fall from the sky in rain, snow and dust that contaminate lakes, rivers and marine waters; and
WHEREAS, over-enrichment from nitrogen compounds is a serious problem in Chesapeake Bay with atmospheric deposition contributing as much as 40% of the nitrogen compounds entering the Bay. Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the Chesapeake Bay airshed alone account for nearly 80% of the human-caused nitrogen deposited in the bay watershed; and
WHEREAS, the Chesapeake Bay Program has established a goal for reduction of nitrogen compounds and other nutrients by 40% by the year 2000 from 1985 baseline levels. This goal cannot be reached unless atmospheric pollution is controlled; and
WHEREAS, the health of the Great Lakes and the people, fish and wildlife that depend on them are threatened by toxic pollutants such as PCBs, mercury, lead and dioxins. These pollutants have been shown to cause birth defects, reproductive failures, cancer and other diseases; and
WHEREAS, the single largest source of many of these pollutants in the Great Lakes is atmospheric deposition. In Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan 95% of the lead and at least 60% of the PCBs enter these lakes from the atmosphere. In Lake Superior, 90% of the mercury enters from the atmosphere; and
WHEREAS, air emissions of mercury are of special concern throughout the United States. Health authorities in at least 40 states have issued fish consumption advisories because of bioaccumulation of mercury. Statewide advisories are in effect for mercury in Maine, Michigan and New Jersey. Mercury advisories are in effect in Lake Champlain and hundreds of lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ontario; and
WHEREAS, the atmosphere is the primary pathway for mercury contamination of North American waterways. Combustion sources — coal burning utilities and waste incinerators –account for 85% of the human-caused sources of mercury. Coal burning utilities release an estimated 48 tons of mercury in the atmosphere each year; and
WHEREAS, these emissions can be reduced by pollution prevention, reducing the use of mercury-bearing products and energy conservation. New federal regulations will reduce the mercury emitted from incinerators. Mercury emissions from utilities can be reduced by 50-90% with pollution prevention and affordable technology that would increase costs by less than 5%; and
WHEREAS, the “Great Waters” provision of the 1990 amendments to the U.S. Clean Air Act (Section 112 (m)) requires EPA to propose measures, including new regulations, by November 15, 1995 to ensure that the Great Waters and the health of people, fish and wildlife dependent on them are protected. Other provisions of the Act (Section 112 (n)) require EPA to assess and propose solutions to the health risks caused by mercury emissions from power plants, waste incinerators and other sources; and
WHEREAS, this problem has global implications since many pesticides such as DDT, which have been banned in the United States because they cause cancer and can disrupt the endocrine system of exposed people and wildlife, continue to be used throughout the world and contaminate the U.S. and global environment through long-range transport in the atmosphere. Some human subpopulations are far more susceptible to health effects from atmospheric sources of mercury, dioxins and PCBs. The Inuit of Arctic Quebec have very high levels of PCBs in their blood from eating seals and whales. Inuit children have immune problems and higher than average rates of disease. In Wisconsin, many adult Native Americans have elevated blood levels of mercury that can lead to developmental problems in their offspring;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in its Annual Meeting assembled March 1-3, 1996 in West Palm Beach, Florida, calls upon state, federal and regional government agencies to:
- Develop air pollution prevention and control measures, including, where necessary, new regulations under the “Great Waters” provisions of the 1990 Clean Air Act. These measures must result in reduced amounts of nitrogen compounds falling into the Chesapeake Bay and reduced amounts of mercury, PCBs, dioxins, lead, pesticides and other pollutants reaching the Great Lakes and the other Great Waters. The amount of pollutant reduction required by these measures should be sufficient to ensure that water quality standards are achieved and that adverse impacts on health and the environment are prevented.
- Break down barriers that separate air and water pollution protection programs of government. The U.S. EPA should work with the Great Lakes states to ensure that water quality standards adopted under the U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative are used to trigger air pollution prevention and control measures; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls upon the U.S. EPA to use its Clean Air Act and other authorities to develop an action plan, including a nationwide goal and time lines, to reduce atmospheric mercury deposition by 90% by the year 2005. This plan should include specific measures to reduce mercury from burning of coal. This plan should emphasize energy conservation and pollution prevention measures such as conversion from coal burning to wind, solar, and natural gas. This plan should include waste management programs to reduce or eliminate mercury-containing products from municipal waste prior to incineration. The plan should include stack controls requiring power companies to meet reduced mercury emission limits.