By: Elizabeth Hauptman, Michigan State Coordinator, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: May 9, 2023
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794
To: Environmental Protection Agency
Hi, thank you for taking my testimony today. I’m Elizabeth Hauptman. My family and I live on a lake in Livingston County, Michigan. I’m also the field consultant with Moms Clean Air Force Michigan. We have over 34,000 members here in Michigan and over a million and a half nationally fighting for clean air and climate for the sake of our children’s health. I strongly support EPA’s proposal to strengthen the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards and ask that EPA finalize these standards as quickly as possible.
Michigan is lucky to have over 11,000 lakes, rivers, and streams. Some of my fondest childhood memories are fishing on Lake St. Clair, baiting hooks with my cousins. Our uncle would cheer us on every summer as we caught walleye and yellow perch, eating the bigger ones for dinner. It was magical. But it will be harder to pass down this same magic to my son and his family if our fish are unsafe to eat. These fish can be consumed only in small amounts, and this affects commerce and recreation for all Michiganders.
Most mercury exposure happens through the consumption of fish. People who eat fish more frequently, like recreational or subsistence fishers, are at higher risk for experiencing health impacts from mercury. There are many fish consumption advisories due to mercury contamination for water bodies across the United States. Michiganders need to eat less fish because of the impact of mercury in the Great Lakes. According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, there are 13 different species considered seriously contaminated by mercury as listed in the “eat safe fish guide.”
Mercury is especially dangerous for developing babies and children. It can cross the blood-brain and placental barriers after ingestion, leading to toxic effects on fetal and infant brains. When pregnant women eat contaminated fish, mercury can cause long-term losses in IQ scores, impaired motor function, learning impairments, and behavioral problems in their children. There is no safe level of mercury consumption. It is unacceptable for coal plants to spew dangerous levels of mercury and other hazardous pollutants into the air, harming our families.
The time to act is now. Moms Clean Air Force has been advocating for strong mercury protections for over a decade, and we strongly support strengthening MATS. Our families and communities have a right to know what’s in our air—and we have a right to breathe clean air. As a parent, a lifelong resident of the Great Lake State, I urge you to finalize this proposal and swiftly move forward with strengthening the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards to help protect families from dangerous pollution that can harm our children. Thank you.