(Adapted from an article by Ken Ward in the Feb 4, 1999, Charleston Gazette. Thanks to Richard diPretoro for additional information)

Utilities that use coal fired plants to generate electricity are prime sources of deadly mercury in the atmosphere. According to the EPA they are responsible for one-third of all mercury atmospheric emissions. States that have coal fired generating plants, or are down wind from them are especially at risk for this deadly pollutant. Consequently, West Virginia, falling into both of the above categories, has one of the highest mercury emission levels in the nation. Mercury air emissions can end up in waterways through rainfall and runoff and then build up in the food chain. This pollutant released into the air by power plants can deposit onto plants, and in the waterways it is absorbed by fish tissue that people could eventually eat.

In spite of this danger, West Virginians aren't being warned not to eat fish containing dangerous levels of mercury, according to a public interest group report issued Wednesday. The state uses a fish tissue concentration threshold for mercury that is not stringent enough, according to the study published by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

"Of the top 17 states for mercury pollution from power plants, West Virginia is the only state with no mercury advisories at all," said Steven Biel, U.S. PIRG's West Virginia field organizer. "That tells us that the state is coming up far short of protecting its citizens from one of the most dangerous poisons known to science," Biel said. "West Virginia fails to warn the public about mercury in our fish until the contamination reaches levels that could potentially cause health effects ranging from brain damage to kidney damage in kids."

The report, "Fishing for Trouble," compiles information about bodies of water under fish consumption advisories and information about how states determine when to issue an advisory.

In West Virginia, mercury fish consumption advisories for mercury for the general public and sensitive populations - such as children and pregnant women - are set if fish tissue contains more than 1.0 parts per million of the chemical.

Nationally, the Food and Drug Administration recommends general public advisories at 1.0 parts per million and sensitive population advisories at 0.2 parts per million.

State regulators say they are working on a plan to address the issue. Pat Campbell of the state Division of Environmental Protection’s Office of Water Resources, said his agency is aware of the problem and is working on it. A group at West Virginia University, using a $20,000 federal grant, is drawing up a plan to rework the state’s fish consumption advisories. A draft should be ready by April, Campbell said.

However, one has to wonder about the Underwood Administration’s concern for the people’s health. On one hand this administration spends a lot of taxpayer dollars to fight EPA’s clean up of air particulates which are known to cause serious health problems. Then on the other hand, it fails to warn us of deadly toxins in the food chain.