Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Sam Brungardt, 651-282-6410 Toll-free: 1-800-657-3864 Saint Paul, Minn. - The first of a series of meetings in which stakeholders will identify ways that mercury air emissions and releases to Minnesota lakes and streams could be reduced to acceptable levels is under way at the Minnesota History Center. Attendees are members of a 16-person strategy work group representing environmental, sports fishing and business interests; the electrical and taconite industries; and local, state and tribal governments. The Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load stakeholder process will eventually produce recommendations for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to consider for an implementation plan. The plan will enable Minnesota to meet the goals of the MPCA?s Mercury TMDL study, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved in March. "Reducing annual in-state mercury emissions by about 2,600 pounds from current levels is definitely a challenge," MPCA Assistant Commissioner David Thornton said. "The ultimate goal is to reduce emissions to 789 pounds, which is a 93 percent reduction from 1990 levels. While we've already made substantial progress in meeting that goal, and reductions in power plant emissions mandated by Minnesota's Mercury Reduction Act of 2006 will help greatly, additional reductions in mercury emissions from all sources, including industrial sources, power plants and mercury-containing products, will be needed." Thornton said the stakeholder process will not consider changes to the goals set in the mercury TMDL study. "Our charge," he said, "is to determine how and by when the goals of the TMDL can be achieved." The federal Clean Water Act requires that states set standards to ensure that their lakes and streams can support "designated uses," such as being "fishable and swimmable." Surface waters that do not meet the standard for a designated use are considered "impaired." Mercury is responsible for 1,312 impairments of Minnesota lakes and streams - more than any other pollutant or condition. It is one of the pollutants that can keep a lake or stream from being fishable because it is responsible for the methylmercury contamination of fish. Methylmercury, a potent neurotoxin, can pose a threat to human health, and the Minnesota Department of Health has issued fish consumption advisories for many Minnesota lakes and rivers. The Clean Water Act also requires that states develop plans to return polluted surface waters to a condition that will support their designated uses, and the implementation plan that the MPCA will develop will be based on the recommendations of the Mercury TMDL stakeholder group. The Mercury TMDL stakeholder process is being facilitated and managed by the Minnesota Environmental Initiative to ensure a fair and open process. Information about the meetings that will be held during the next year is available at www.mn-ei.org/policy/hgtmdlindex.html. This Web page will have information about the membership of the various groups that will be involved in the process as well as meeting schedules, agendas and summaries. It also has links to the Mercury TMDL document, EPA's decision document, the MPCA's Mercury TMDL Web page, and the communication plan for the process. Persons who have questions about the MPCA's mercury TMDL can contact Howard Markus at 651-296-7295 or toll-free at 1-800-657-3864. The Mercury TMDL document that the EPA approved can be seen at www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tmdl/tmdl-mercuryplan.html#approval.