This Great freshwater resource deserves protection as a vital national treasure.
To save our Great Lake Michigan from the scourge of mercury poisoning, we urge the president to declare Lake Michigan a nationally protected mercury-free zone and to prohibit any mercury from entering the lake by 2023.
Great Lake Michigan provides drinking water, food, recreation, transportation and employment for millions of people. State enforcement of the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act has proven ineffectual in safekeeping America’s Great Lakes. Last year Indiana granted permission to BP to discharge almost 8 times the amount of mercury allowable under Environmental Protection Agency standards.
The Great Lakes Basin is
the largest freshwater system in the world. Lake Michigan’s unique conditions
support a rich diversity of plants and animals.
Renown for its scenic beauty and water recreation, the Lake’s national,
state and local coastal parks host visitors from around the globe. Chicago’s 24 beaches alone occupy 26 miles of
shoreline.
Mercury is a potent
neuro-toxin that can be absorbed through the skin. Mercury can be particularly toxic to children
and fetuses, damaging kidney, lungs and brain. Mercury does not decompose but concentrates in
living things, including fish and plants; contamination spreads by one mercury-containing
organism ingesting another.
“Unless definitive action is taken now, our lake will turn toxic. Already mercury levels pose a health threat;
commercial fishing has been essentially destroyed,” said petition originator
Jacqueline Widmar Stewart. “How can
anyone favor poisoning our drinking water and ruining one of the most beautiful
places on earth? It’s in everyone’s
interest to keep our freshwaters clean and our lands safe.”
dub2go@gmail.com
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