Supporters: Governor Rod Blagojevich

Background:

• In January 2006, Governor Blagojevich called for a reduction in mercury emissions in Illinois coal plants by an average of 90% by June 30th, 2009.  Reducing mercury emissions will increase the protection of women of childbearing age and children from the effects of methylmercury and provide them some of the highest levels of safety from mercury emissions in the country.

• According to state officials, Illinois currently ranks 5th in the nation in mercury emissions and is one of 31 states that advises pregnant women and women of childbearing age to limit their intake of fish caught in every lake, river, and stream in Illinois.

• The Great Lake states produce 60% of the mercury pollution alone.

• Mercury is a major source of environmental contamination.  Mercury is released in the environment and then makes it way to waterways where it contaminates fish in the form of methylmercury.

• Between 316,588 and 637,233 children have cord blood mercury levels associated with loss of IQ.  The resulting loss of intelligence causes diminished economic productivity that persists over the entire lifetime of these children.  This loss productivity is the major cost of methylmercury toxicity and it amounts to $8.7 billion annually.  Of this total, $1.3 billion each year is attributable to mercury emissions from American power plants.

Mercury and its Effects on Women and Children:

• Mercury, especially in the form of methylmercury, is of special concern to March of Dimes because it is a potent developmental toxin.  It can have an adverse effect on fertility, the outcome of pregnancy, and the health of future generations.

• Environmental substances cause reproductive hazards such as damaging either the egg or the sperm, may be teratogens (cause of birth defects), act as mutagens (change genes), or otherwise affect human development.

• According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, at high ingested does, mercury can disrupt nerve cells in the brain before and after birth, leading to severe mental deficiency, blindness, deafness, and chronic seizure disorders. 

• Chronic, moderate to low-level methylmercury exposure before birth is associated with developmental delays that may affect attention, memory, intelligence, language ability, and motor skills.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have indicated that about 6% of women of childbearing age are exposed to mercury levels above the EPA’s reference dose that is deemed safe for a healthy birth.

• According to the EPA’s own analysis of data suggests that as many as 630,000 babies are born each year who have been exposed to unsafe levels of mercury.

March of Dimes policy:

• The March of Dimes supports efforts to prevent and reverse effects of exposure to health hazards in the environment and their relationship to birth defects and infant mortality, and advocates for increased corporate and governmental efforts to reduce exposure to reproductive hazards.

March of Dimes Recommendations:

• Support Governor Blagojevich’s call for reduction in mercury emissions from Illinois Coal Plants by an average of 90% by 2009.

• Support the reporting of Mercury exposure symptoms to the Adverse Pregnancy Reporting System (APORS)

For more info contact: Jennie Pinkwater

                                        Public Affairs Division

                                        March of Dimes Illinois Chapter

                                        111 West Jackson, Suite 2200

                                        Chicago, IL 60604

                                        312-596-4709

                                        jpinkwater@marchofdimes.com