Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media contact: Dan Olson, (218) 846-7390 Technical contact: Ned Brooks, (651) 296-7242 Toll free/TTY: (800) 657-3864 SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Mercury levels in fish caught in Minnesota are dropping an average 1 percent a year. That's good news for the many thousands who plan to fish in the state this summer. On the other hand, mercury levels in the state may increase because of demand worldwide for energy that requires burning more coal and other fossil fuels that contain mercury. What can and is being done to balance our need for energy with our desire for good health and recreation? You'll find the answer to this and other questions about mercury in the latest issue of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's (MPCA's) Minnesota Environment magazine. Included in the magazine is a feature on Clancy, the MPCA's mercury-detecting dog. Clancy, the only dog of this type in the country, visits Minnesota schools that participate in the MPCA's Mercury-Free Zone Program. The on-line version of the magazine is available at Minnesota Environment