Partners in Action: Ogeechee-Canoochee Riverkeeper Fights Mercury Pollution

The US Geological Survey (USGS) made headlines last month with the release of a multi-year study looking at levels of mercury contamination in freshwater streams throughout the country. After surveying fish populations in nearly 300 streams and 48 states between 1998 and 2005, the USGS has reported that 100% of fish sampled contained mercury in their bodies, and roughly a quarter of those sampled contained mercury levels that exceed EPA established safe limits for healthy adults consuming average quantities of fish.

Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal that is found both naturally and as an introduced contaminant in the environment. Research has shown that mercury can be a threat to the health of people and wildlife in many environments that are not obviously polluted. The risk is determined by the likelihood of exposure, the form of mercury present (some forms are more toxic than others), and the various factors that influence how mercury moves and changes form in the environment.

In 2004, River Network Partner Ogeechee-Canoochee Riverkeeper (OCRK) conducted a similar study, collecting fish from the Canoochee River in Georgia to determine mercury levels in the fish. Their results corroborate the USGS study findings that widespread mercury contamination exists in local fish:

Six out of 7 (over 85%) of the largemouth bass in the Canoochee River had mercury levels twice what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says is safe for people to eat. The Redbreast Sunfish fared somewhat better with 4 out of 10 (40%) having mercury levels at or above what the EPA says is safe to eat. Every single fish that we caught had detectable levels of mercury in it. Unfortunately, because of the unique water quality characteristics of blackwater streams, such as the Ogeechee and Canoochee Rivers, mercury is converted into its most toxic form, methyl mercury.

Ogeechee-Canoochee Riverkeeper is currently undertaking its Volunteer Fish Collection project to assess the current levels of mercury in fish throughout the Ogeechee River Watershed. This program will involve sport and subsistence anglers in fish collection, educate the public about mercury contamination and its sources, and engage people in the effort to prevent mercury pollution.

The Volunteer Fish Collection project is a vital part of OCRK’s Clean Communities and Healthy Waters Initiative. The negative effects of mercury have been clearly documented, with the public health risks being greatest in those individuals who consume fish on a regular basis. In the Ogeechee Watershed, these individuals are predominately minorities, low income individuals, immigrants and those with low levels of education who may not be aware of the health risks they are assuming for themselves or their families.

This past spring, River Network awarded OCRK a $10,000 grant in support of their efforts. Diana Toledo, River Network’s Southeast Program Manager, is also working with OCRK to develop a public awareness campaign to engage people in an effort to reduce the amount of mercury entering their rivers.

How can we reduce the levels of mercury found in fish?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "Coal-burning power plants are the largest human-caused source of mercury emissions to the air in the United States, accounting for over 40 percent of all domestic human-caused mercury emissions."

Conscious of the greater link between clean energy and clean water, River Network Partners and others are already hard at work examining the impacts of existing and new coal-fired power plants in their watersheds and pushing for reductions in the amount of mercury released into the air and our streams.

Ogeechee-Canoochee Riverkeeper is currently analyzing the potential effects of a new coal-fired power plant being built near Sandersville, Georgia, among others. Their research indicates that the plant will put more mercury into the river and fish, potentially impact the amount of drinking water available for people in the Washington County area, and potentially reduce groundwater flows to the Ogeechee River. OCRK is mobilizing community members to participate in public hearings on the proposed new coal-fired plant. Read more about their efforts and get involved here.

Article written by Jacob Cohen and Waverly de Bruijn, River Network.