Idaho DEQ Plans to Reduce Mercury Rising by Regulating Pollution
Thanks to the hard work of our program director, Justin Hayes, the Idaho DEQ Board has voted to regulate mercury pollution in Idaho's waterways.
Boise, ID - Idahoans have been warned about eating fish from 22 lakes, rivers and streams because those fish are contaminated with mercury - a neurotoxin especially dangerous to babies and children. Now, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality board has voted to regulate mercury pollution that ends up in waterways.
Justin Hayes, program director with the Idaho Conservation League coordinated the petition to get the process going.
"One of the really interesting things about this is we did it with Monsanto. Their phosphate processing facility in Soda Springs, Idaho, is by far, the largest source of mercury in the entire state."
Hayes says state loopholes that have allowed pollution without local control should be closed with the new regulations.
"That will have a beneficial effect not only on mercury emissions, but on the impact that mercury has on local watersheds and the health of children across the state and throughout the West."
The goal, says Hayes, is to require mercury emitters to use the best-available technology to limit pollution, and set an example for neighboring states to tackle the issue, too. Most of the pollution measured in Idaho drifts into the Gem State from Nevada and Oregon.
