That innocuous statement hides a dirty truth: Pennsylvania continues to emit more mercury into the atmosphere than all but one other state, mainly due to power plant emissions. As mercury in the air reaches water, it undergoes a change to methylmercury, an even more toxic form that builds up in fish -- affecting the food chain throughout. PennFuture has been attacking mercury and power plant emissions on state and federal fronts since its earliest days. The most vulnerable populations are women who are pregnant or nursing, young children, and those who consume a high percentage of fish in their diet -- and the risks are serious to the development of infants' brains and neurological systems.If you fish, you'll want to review this list which details the water bodies across the state and the contaminants and fish of concern. If you eat fish caught in Pennsylvania's lakes and 83,000 miles of waterways, the advisory provides suggested consumption limits and offers preparation methods to limit exposure. Finally, regardless of whether you fish or eat what you catch, you can advocate for strong rules on power plants to protect public health, which we blogged about last month.
Kate Gibbons is northeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in our Wilkes-Barre office.
