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Mercury clouds over Idaho
Summary REPORT
In May of 2009 the NPR announced that Nevada has been operating 26 gold mines that have been broadcasting approximately 300 tons of airborne mercury over southern Idaho and elsewhere for the last 20 years.
CEEI discovered that it’s more like 500 to 700 tons of mercury over a period of 30-40 years and involves more like 75 mines.
The EPA’s region 10 report authenticated this announcement on Boise’s NPR radio this spring.Its complaint is that the EPA has failed to file an promulgate an antidegradation implementation plan.
The CEEI report stated that 14 months ago rainbow trout in Silver Creek, the world famous trout stream, were discovered to contain 60 times over the allowable limit of mercury. Mercury was also discovered in the trout at the Hayspur Hatchery four
miles away. Apparently, California, Utah, Arizona, and Oregon citizens were suing Nevada, including the citizens of Nevada who were filing a suit against their own state in an effort to close these mines.
The mines have not shut down. Therefore, CEEI feels it is urgent that the public speak up against the government agencies that have allowed these mines to
operate, contrary to the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act, and falsifying reports to Congress for four reporting cycles over eight years.
The Nature Conservancy announced that tissue samples taken from trout at Picabo, Idaho revealed 60 times amount of normal background mercury 14 months ago.
The Ketchum newspaper reported that all the Wood River Valley mayors had written letters to Governor Otter about the mercury infested Silver Creek fish at Picabo. About six months ago the governor responded in a letter to a Blaine County commissioner that the gold mines would be shut down.
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At issue is the fact that when mercury is heated to 2000 degrees or over it become an aerosol molecule., and will fall like rain downwind. thus all the Nevada gold mines are suspect as they use mercury in their process to extract gold from the ore. If you are down wind, your water reservoirs and water sheds are affected.
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When the ICL program director was interviewed by Bob Kustra, President of Boise State University, they claimed that they had found a mine that was possibly a source, and discovered 1,000 time background mercury readings.
They said “It was a wonder that the fish were alive”, and that "the mercury at the Jarrett mine was equivalent to 120 coal-fired plants".
It was also discovered that 12 reservoirs were loaded with mercury on the south side of the Snake River”.
It was approximately two weeks later that the NPR announcer in Boise stated “that EPA reports had indicated that the 26 gold mines had been operating for 20 years and that 300 tons of mercury were estimated to have gone airborne”.
Assuming, all gold mines being equal, that they have been releasing the same amount of mercury, a quick math projection would indicate that we are talking about the equivalent of 3,120 coal-fired power plants contributing to (whatever it is that has hit the Bellevue triangle).
Approximately four weeks later President Bob Kustra interviewed ICL program director again on the NPR Boise state radio. This time the interview was much softer, no facts were given and the EPA information of the original NPR announcement was left out.
Fred Burmester, CEEI chairman, overheard an employee at the Hayspur Fish Hatchery say that “All these fish have mercury, everybody knows that.”
At this point, CEEI called two associates in Nevada to check why the Nevada DEQ had taken all their records of mercury off their web site during 2008 and 2009, and see if they can find copies of the lawsuits that would confirm the mines that were operating, how long they have been in operation, and an estimate of the amount of mercury they have been releasing in their processing of gold. Though CEEI has asked Region 10 for more details and confirmation of their report, EPA has not responded.
CEEI has written the Boise City Council advising them to “test their water systems,” citing the Silver Creek information. The very next day the Governor announced that beginning October 1st, there would be no more testing Idaho’s water in an effort to save cost.
CEEI, concerned about the EPA announcement, discovered that only one mercury listing was forthcoming in the 1992 survey which identified the Monsanto Cement Plant 40 miles into Oregon from the border of Idaho. (See 303d Clean Water Act, CEEI’S WEB SITE www.apsrs.prg )
The Wood River Valley has the highest rates of cancer in Idaho. The pets and wild animals are now part of the study (with permission), since MANY have been found with cancer and tumors. CEEI is asking for a $50,000 study grant that will be done by an experienced biologist.
Estimates based on discussions I’ve had with a Nevada associate, instead of 26 gold mines, it may be closer to 75 or 80 that dispersed 500 to 700 tons of airborne mercury over southern Idaho for more than 40 years. While I know that many western states have filed lawsuits in regard to all this pollution flying over their territory, I don’t know if Idaho has filed suit. This information should be easy to find. Copies of the lawsuits would have causes of action and some sort of indication where mercury has landed, etc. I suspect all copies are in Carson City Nevada. The government and the EPA should be taking action on this.
CEEI’s direct concern stems from the fact that much of the mercury should have shown up all over the southern Rockies during those twenty
years since CEEI adopted these 303(d) streams at our first web site (America’s Polluted Streams www.apsrs.org) statewide in 1994, and Idaho’s
first stream listing in 1992. At the time, we were more than curious to see what was indicated. CEEI estimated that 400,000 polluted streams are missing from the CWA
lists.
Why was it that no mercury has been found in all of our 50 states, including Idaho? The 303(d) streams list, surveyed by the General Accounting
Office, found that only 19% of all streams have ever been surveyed? And, why is it that all the streams east of the Mississippi showed no mercury, even though 600 coal-fired plans are there. (See Wikipedia at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/fossil_fuel_power_plant.)
IF COAL-FIRED PLANTS GENERATE 50% OF ALL ENERGY AND MERCURY OUTPUT IS WELL UNDERSTOOD, WHY IS THIS INFORMATION MISSING ON THE 303(d) LISTS EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI? DID THIS REPORT END UP IN THE CIRCULAR FILE? I
IS THIS A SCIENTIFIC REPORT OR A POLITICAL COVER-UP? does the Congress realize that they signed off on deceiving themselves in 2001?
CEEI suggests the possibility that since the end of the Bush administration, reporting appears to have stopped. I found it difficult to download all
the 303(d) reports. In order to do this, 29 steps were required to get a state report!
CEEI recommends that high school and college students be paid to do entire state water surveys (gather samples for testing, get tissue samples,
write up their findings, etc.)
As it stands now, the Clean Water Act report is no longer relevant. All streams need to be re-surveyed, since no 303(d) test has recorded finding any mercury or Guardia? These two pollutants are missing. This is important because Guardia can cause serious problems for people who insist on drinking water from streams that appear to be clear, and mercury can cause a range of problems to their central nervous system. It is believed that mercury can also cause cancer in humans and animals, since it is known to attack the immune system as well.
Power plant emissions:
The bigger picture: natural gas pipelines should be routed to existing power plants, otherwise they should be shut down. Electric power line augmentation needs to be installed asap for solar power farms in the desert southwest.
Conversion of chemical energy to heat: The complete combustion of fossil fuel, using air as the oxygen source, is summarized in the following chemical reaction, assuming
the nitrogen remains inert.
However, some of the nitrogen can be oxidized, producing various nitrogen oxides. Other unintended products of combustion are sulfur dioxide coming from sulfur impurities (predominantly from coal).
Coal-fired power plants:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel_power_plant
Power plants are a major source of air pollution, as you know, as well as the pollution of our waters from airborne mercury. Coal-fired power plants spew out 59% of total U.S. sulfur dioxide pollution and 18% of total nitrogen oxides every year. They are also the largest polluters of toxic mercury and the largest contributor of hazardous air toxics. Power plants release over 40% of total U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, a prime
contributor to global warming.
Mercury can become a gas and can move hundreds of miles downwind if heated to high temperature.
Power plants are second only to automobiles as the greatest source of NOx emissions and mercury. When nitrogen oxide (NOx) reacts with volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) and sunlight, smog (ground level ozone) forms. Of the six major criteria air pollutants regulated by the EPA, NOx emissions
have historically been the hardest to control. One of the contributing factors is that NOx emissions from huge dirty coal plants in one region can
easily pollute areas hundreds of miles downwind. The American Lung Association estimates that millions of Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of smog.
Mercury can be emitted to the atmosphere in 3 forms: gaseous elemental
mercury (GEM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM), and particulate mercury
(HgP). These 3 forms can also interconvert in the atmosphere. On time scales
of 0.5-1.5 years, there is a net oxidation of GEM to RGM in the atmosphere
(some of which goes onto particles to create HgP). The RGM and HgP are
scavenged very efficiently by rainfall while GEM is not (since it isn't very
soluble in water). RGM and HgP can also "dry deposit", which happens when
those species contact surfaces and "stick". Dry deposition is very hard to
measure compared to wet deposition, but is estimated to account for less
than 50% of total Hg deposition. So, wet deposition is the biggest term, and
is mostly RGM that was scavenged during rain events.
The Hg in the atmosphere is mostly GEM (>90%) with some RGM and HgP.
A coal-fired power plant emits mostly RGM (50-75%) and GEM (25-50%) and very
little HgP. Other industrial activities emit different proportions of RGM
vs. GEM. The RGM from any source can deposit locally (within 10-200km) while
the GEM joins the "global" pool of GEM and is transported around the
hemisphere within a few weeks. Atmospheric mixing across the equator is
slow, so Hg emitted in the northern hemisphere (where most industry takes
place) does not mix across the equator very effectively.
Natural sources of Hg to the atmosphere (volcanoes, emission from Hg rich
deposits, etc.) are mostly GEM.
William Landing PhD Florida state
The White House should take this opportunity to get rid of all the Bush EPA appointees and get the EPA to take action. They don’t realize what a
mess it is, that’s why I’m suggesting they use high school students to do some of this work the government ABANDONED. and should be doing. STUDENTS EVEN COLLEGE STUDENTS CAN collect fish samples , test them, and write up reports. ( they report the weather now).
Recently Advocates for the West representing the Idaho Conservation league have filed suit against the EPA. |
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National Geographic Image Collection/Annie Griffiths Belt |
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