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Contacts: Valerie Denney Conclusion from Reducing Toxic Air Pollution in Lake Michigan Air deposition research indicates that the atmosphere is an important and complicated source of on-going toxic pollution for Lake Michigan. Unfortunately there is no specific EPA of state program that is explicitly designed to set and meet reduction targets for air toxics deposition in the region. However, there are various government programs that are pieces of the puzzle. In order to make progress on this issue and to protect public health and the environment from air deposition of toxics, EPA and state agencies will have to work together and make a commitment to address this problem. EPA though its funding and programmatic capabilities should play a leadership role on the issue and work with its state counterparts to encourage regional action. State organizations could be very helpful in coordinating technical resources; LADCO, for example, could initiate valuable modeling and monitoring efforts, and the Great Lakes Commission could work with researches and the public to improve the Great Lakes Alf Toxics Emissions Inventory. As more research is conducted, either by EPA of academic researches, the results must be made publicly available in a timely fashion. Public awareness of the research underway to understand this complex problem will help create the political will to respond with sound public policies. |
Chicago -- Toxic chemicals and metals — including seven chemicals included in the "dirty dozen" now subject to international phase out under a new United Nations treaty — continue to enter Lake Michigan in dangerous amounts and threaten the health of both humans and the ecosystem, according to a new report released today.
Reducing Toxic Air Pollution in Lake Michigan brings together the most recent scientific data on air toxics in Lake Michigan and demonstrates that the atmosphere — through precipitation, gas exchange, and airborne particles — is a significant method by which PCBs, mercury, dioxin, pesticides, and other air toxics enter the Lake. Though standards and reduction timelines are in place for other regional air pollution problems such as acid rain, ozone and regional haze, no comprehensive program exists for reducing atmospheric deposition of chemicals to Lake Michigan.
"The science shows that if we do not address air deposition of toxic pollutants, we will not meet our water quality goals for a very long time," said Gary Gulezian, Director, Great Lakes Program Office, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The report comes just two weeks before nations from around the globe adopt the world's first global, legally binding treaty to eliminate a dozen highly toxic and persistent chemicals known as POPs (persistent organic pollutants). The study released today demonstrates that a number of these chemicals, as well as other pollutants, continue to create human health hazards in the Great Lakes Region. Fish consumption advisories, for example, warn people to strictly limit their intake of Great Lakes fish due to these chemicals.
"We have better source controls, and water quality in the Great Lakes has improved significantly since the 1970s. Still, lake-wide contamination problems persist because of the pollution entering the lake from atmospheric deposition," said Tim Brown, Co-Director, Delta Institute. "Scientists have been describing this problem in the Great Lakes for some time. Now it's time to do something about it."
Key findings of the report include (see attached sheet for specific health effects associated with Lake Michigan toxic pollutants).
Dioxin
Most dioxins and furans enter Lake Michigan via the atmosphere as a result of
municipal and medical waste incineration, cement kilns burning hazardous waste,
and burning solid waste in back yard or construction site barrels.
Sources within 250 miles of the Lake are responsible for 70 percent of the dioxins in the Lake; 40 percent from within 60 miles of the Lake.
PCBs
More than 80 percent of 3,200 kilograms of PCBs that enter the lake each year
enter via the atmosphere. The Chicago region is the source for up to 20% of
those PCB depositions.
PCBs volatilize into the atmosphere from sources such as landfills, sludge drying beds, transformer storage yards and incinerators. Examples of sources in the Chicago region include Calumet East Drying Beds, CID Landfill, and a ComEd Transformer Storage Yard.
Mercury
1,138 kg of mercury is deposited into Lake Michigan annually from the atmosphere
- 86% of the total. Coal burning power plants and other fossil fuels are
responsible for over one half of the national mercury emissions. Waste
incineration counts for close to 40%.
Atrazine
2,790 kg of atrazine is deposited into Lake Michigan each year from the
atmosphere. This is approximately 25% of the total that enters Lake Michigan,
but the atmosphere may be underestimated because this only accounts for atrazine
in rain, not in the gas phase.
In addition to these chemicals, the report also provides information about chlordane, DDT, lead, cadmium, chromium, arsenic, hexachlorobenzene, and toxaphene.
The report's recommendations have been adopted by the Lake Michigan Forum, a stakeholders group that provides input into the development and implementation of the Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP) for Lake Michigan - a process required by the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada. According to Dr. Janet Vail, Co-chair of the Lake Michigan Forum, "This is a very significant study that could lead to immediate action on this issue."
Key recommendations call on state and federal agencies to work together to:
Set targets for the reduction of atmospheric deposition of toxic chemicals in Lake Michigan.
Develop a comprehensive inventory of regional air toxic sources.
Coordinate state and federal environmental programs to quantifiably reduce air toxic emissions.
Use regulatory and non-regulatory means to reduce air toxics including, energy conservation and efficiency, and land use and transportation planning.
Coordinate and target modeling and monitoring efforts in order to set goals, track reductions, and identify effective controls.
Organize a Lake Michigan Air Deposition of Toxics Task Force to oversee and advocate for the implementation of this strategy.
The Delta Institute was formed in 1998 and is a non-profit organization that works to improve environmental quality and promote community and economic development in the Great Lakes region.
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