Gov. Blagojevich calls on FDA to issue new mercury warning for pregnant women         

Governor's recommendation based on new Consumer Reports warnings that pregnant women should never eat canned tuna

[JUNE 8, 2006]  CHICAGO -- Continuing efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of mercury, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich on Tuesday called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue a new warning that pregnant women should avoid canned tuna entirely. The governor's recommendation is based on new warnings from Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports, that some canned tuna contains mercury levels high enough that pregnant women should never eat it. According to a Chicago Tribune report, the FDA is not planning to notify the public of this new information.

"We're continuing to do everything we can to protect our citizens from the harmful effects of mercury, but now it is time for the federal government to take action," the governor wrote in his letter. "We are asking you to work with us -- and not against us -- to make sure the public knows about the danger of mercury in fish and to reduce the presence of the dangerous toxin in our environment. Americans deserve access to information that can directly benefit their health and well-being, and I am calling on you to issue a new warning immediately."

In January, the governor proposed a new mercury rule that would require a 90 percent reduction of mercury pollution from in-state, coal-fired power plants by 2009. If adopted, the new standard would reduce toxic mercury emissions faster and more thoroughly than the federal restrictions adopted last spring and would achieve the largest overall amount of mercury reduction of any state in the country.

Mercury can cause serious health problems to the human nervous system; pregnant women, women of childbearing age and children younger than 15 years of age are especially at risk.

When a mother eats tainted fish, developing fetuses can be exposed to mercury and can suffer mental retardation, cerebral palsy, lower IQs, slow motor functions, deafness, blindness and other health problems. Recent studies indicate that as many as 10 percent of babies born each year in the United States are exposed to excessive mercury levels in the womb.

Mercury contamination is a nationwide problem. On March 10, 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued the Clean Air Mercury Rule, which required coal-fired power plants to reduce mercury emissions 47 percent by 2010 and 79 percent by 2018. The governor's mercury proposal came in response to a federal mercury rule that is currently being implemented and is widely regarded as insufficient. The proposed Illinois rules are significantly stronger, requiring a 90 percent emissions reduction by June 30, 2009.

The 21 coal-fired power plants in Illinois are the largest source of mercury emissions in the state, emitting over 7000 pounds annually, more than all other human sources combined. Mercury is released into the air when power plants burn coal to produce electricity at power plants. The mercury is then deposited into rivers and lakes, contaminating fish and getting into the food chain.

Once mercury enters water, it becomes highly dangerous. Humans get most of their mercury from eating fish -- and mercury contaminates fish in every body of water in Illinois.

Due to high mercury concentrations, the Illinois Department of Public Health has issued a statewide fish consumption advisory, warning pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children to eat no more than one meal a week of predator fish -- such as bass, walleye and northern pike -- caught in Illinois waters.

Since coming into office, Blagojevich has demonstrated his continued commitment to reducing mercury in the environment:

• On Earth Day, April 22, Blagojevich signed into law mercury switch legislation that creates a statewide program for collecting and removing mercury-containing switches from retired vehicles before they are processed as scrap metal, so that the mercury is not emitted into the environment during processing. The new law requires automakers to create mercury switch collection programs, offering storage containers to auto recyclers and dismantlers and arranging for transportation of the removed switches.

• On May 1, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Doug Scott announced a new initiative on behalf of the governor to expand the collection and recycling of climate-control thermostats that contain mercury switches. Long-term household hazardous waste collection sites in both Rockford and Naperville will collect and recycle mercury thermostats through an industry take-back program. This will provide two drop-off locations in northern Illinois for homeowners or do-it-yourselfers who purchase replacement thermostats.

• Focusing on retail products, three years ago the governor signed legislation that ended the sale of mercury thermometers and novelty items. This is another step to remove mercury from the waste stream and replace mercury-containing items with safer available alternatives. The legislation supported previous legislation that further reduced mercury-containing products that pose a potential health hazard by prohibiting schools from purchasing mercury-containing scientific equipment for use in classrooms.

• The Illinois EPA also continues to implement the governor's mercury initiative on a variety of fronts, including collections of mercury items in household hazardous waste collections, "green chemistry" workshops and exchanges of mercury thermometers.

• An air sampling station in Northbrook in 2000 is one of only two continuous mercury-monitoring stations in the U.S. With advanced scientific techniques, mercury samples are also being collected at several inland lakes and streams across the state.

Text of the governor's letter:

Office of the Governor
Chicago, Illinois 60601

Rod Blagojevich
Governor

June 6, 2006

Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D.
Acting Commissioner of Food and Drugs
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville MD 20857

Dear Commissioner von Eschenbach:

I am writing to you to urge you to immediately address the new Consumer Reports warnings on dangerous mercury in canned tuna. This morning, I was disturbed to read that experts are now warning that some canned tuna contains mercury levels high enough that pregnant women should never eat it. Almost more disturbing is the Chicago Tribune's report that the Food and Drug Administration plans to do nothing to notify the public of the new Consumer Reports recommendation that all pregnant women avoid canned tuna entirely. This is information that can make a significant difference in the health of the mother and the child -- and the public has a right to know.

We know that exposure to unsafe levels of toxic mercury can cause potentially serious health problems, especially for pregnant women, women of childbearing age, and children younger than 15 years. Developing fetuses can be exposed to mercury when a mother eats tainted fish and can suffer mental retardation, cerebral palsy, lower IQs, slow motor functions, deafness, blindness, and other health problems. Recent studies indicate that as many as 10 percent of babies born each year in the United States are exposed to excessive mercury levels in the womb -- a public health problem this serious requires action at every level.

Here in Illinois, we proposed tough new mercury standards to significantly reduce toxic mercury emissions, to help protect our children and our environment. We proposed to cut mercury emissions by 90 percent by 2009 -- which if adopted, will achieve the largest overall amount of mercury reduction of any state in the country.

We're continuing to do everything we can to protect our citizens from the harmful effects of mercury, but now it is time for the federal government to take action. We are asking you to work with us -- and not against us -- to make sure the public knows about the danger of mercury in fish, and to reduce the presence of the dangerous toxin in our environment. Americans deserve access to information that can directly benefit their health and well-being, and I am calling on you to issue a new warning immediately.

Sincerely,

Rod Blagojevich
Governor

[News release from the governor's office]