Statement by John Kerry on Massachusetts Lawsuit to Stop Toxic Mercury Pollution

Statement by John Kerry on Massachusetts Lawsuit to Stop Toxic Mercury Pollution

“The EPA isn't living up to its responsibility to protect the people of Massachusetts from toxic mercury pollution. The Merrimack Valley is ground zero of mercury pollution, and it's clear that the administration's actions to undo pollution control standards will harm our families and our communities. “I applaud Tom Reilly's decision to move forward with this lawsuit. When the Bush administration’s EPA refuses to turn over documents and hides the results of a Harvard study they commissioned themselves, we have a serious problem that must be addressed. “Mercury is toxic. One in six women of child bearing age in the United States carries enough accumulated mercury in her body to pose risks of adverse health effects to her children should she become pregnant. A recent study found links between mercury and childhood developmental disabilities such as autism. Forty-five states have fish advisories for mercury warning pregnant women and children to limit their consumption of many fish caught in freshwater. And researchers have warned that mercury is associated with cardio vascular disease in adult men. Allowing the administration's new pollution rules to go into effect will only make the mercury pollution and its dangers worse.”