Senator Collins Testifies at EPW Hearing on Her Bipartisan Bill to Monitor Mercury Pollution

Click HERE to read Senator Collins’ remarks.

Click HERE to watch Senator Collins’ remarks.

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) in support of the Comprehensive National Mercury Monitoring Act, bipartisan legislation she introduced with EPW Chairman Tom Carper (D-DE) that would establish a national mercury monitoring network to protect human health and the environment. 

“As this committee knows, mercury is a potent neurotoxin. Exposure can lead to significant health problems, especially in children and pregnant women. In Maine, some of our lands and bodies of water face higher mercury pollution compared to the national average,” said Senator Collins. “Maine is located at what has been called the ‘tailpipe of the nation,’ as the winds carry pollution, including mercury, from the west into Maine. Our bipartisan legislation would establish a comprehensive national monitoring network, helping to protect human health, safeguard fisheries, and track the effect of emissions reductions. I hope the Committee will favorably report our bill for consideration by the full Senate.”

Mercury poses a serious threat to our health and environment, especially for children and pregnant women. An estimated 100,000-200,000 children born in the United States each year are exposed to levels of mercury in the womb that are high enough to impair neurological development. Mercury, a powerful toxin, affects the senses, the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver, and it poses significant risks to children and pregnant women, causing an elevated risk of birth defects and problems with motor skills. While mercury exposure has gone down as mercury emissions in the United States have declined, levels remain high.

Through the Comprehensive National Mercury Monitoring Act, mercury monitoring sites would be established across the nation to measure mercury levels in air, water, and living organisms. This legislation would build on existing environmental monitoring efforts to create a comprehensive nationwide mercury monitoring network to provide sound mercury measurements.

Specifically, the Comprehensive National Mercury Monitoring Act would:

• Direct the Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunction with the Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Park Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other appropriate agencies to establish a national mercury monitor program to measure and monitor mercury in watersheds, surface water, fish and wildlife, and the atmosphere;

• Establish a scientific advisory committee to advise on the establishment, site selection, measurement, recording protocols, and operations of the monitoring program;

• Establish a centralized database for existing and newly collected environmental mercury data that can be freely accessed on the Internet and is comprised of data that is compatible with similar international efforts;

• Require a report to Congress every two years on the program, including trends, and an assessment of the reduction in mercury deposition rates that need to be achieved in order to prevent adverse human and ecological effects every four-years; and

• Authorize $95 million over three years for these purposes. 

Click HERE to read the full text of the bill.

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