But a frightening footnote is absent from the college brochures. Massachusetts has the nation's second-worst water quality, a distinction so dire that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that no one ingest fish from any of the state's lakes and waterways. But somehow, the EPA prevents thousands of college students who make Massachusetts their temporary home from finding out about this dangerous hazard.
Mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants cause most of the pollution. Mercury, an invisible poison, is one of the most persistent, toxic and harmful chemicals. It accumulates in our waterways and in the fish we catch and eat, threatening public health and outdoor recreation. Despite this threat to our health and way of life, the Bush administration has announced that it will push to overturn provisions in the Clean Air Act, an action that would increase the legal amount of toxic mercury pollution by five to six times. To do this, the administration is declaring mercury a non-toxic pollutant. But every child knows that mercury is a deadly poison, and every child in this state could be harmed by it.
Mercury is especially dangerous for pregnant women and young children. Already, one in six women of childbearing age has blood-mercury levels above the EPA-recommended level, putting over 620,000 newborns at risk each year. Minimum levels of mercury exposure in the womb can lead to a diminished capacity for verbal memory, fine motor function and language skills. High levels can result in cerebral palsy and delayed development in walking and talking. With more mercury pollution permitted, many more children will soon be born with these disabilities.
However, we don't have to choose between eating fish and ensuring public health. There is a logical way to make fish fit to eat: Keep toxic mercury out of the environment by eliminating mercury from power plants, the largest unregulated source of mercury emissions in the United States. But, President Bush and his campaign contributors from polluting industries seem unwilling to take this simple step. The technology is available, but they just won't force power plants to use it.
Women shouldn't have to worry about putting themselves and their families at risk by living in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has declared it economically feasible to reduce mercury emissions by up to 90 percent. Failing to improve the quality of life for thousands of people is an affront to the citizens of this state and their inherent right to live a healthy life.
It is appalling that President Bush would put the wishes of campaign contributors in the utility industry before the health of this nation's women and the environment. We deserve to know the truth about mercury pollution. And we deserve stronger standards that value the health of children more than the fat pockets of big business.
Richa Bhala is a representative of MassPIRG and Heather Van Dusen is a representative of the Amherst Feminist Alliance.