Colorado’s Mercury Program The Mercury-Free Colorado Campaign__________________________

Mark McMillanColorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Presented at the WESTAR Fall Business MeetingSeptember 2006

What Is To Be Covered Today

Mercury Issue

Assessing Mercury Sources

Solutions to Addressing Mercury- Regulatory- Pollution Prevention

Closing Comments

Mercury Toxicity• Natural Element, Accumulative Toxin• Primary Exposure Through Fish Consumption• Fish Often Measured at Levels above What is Considered Protective of Health• States have Non-Compliant Waterbodies• Pregnant Women and esp. Fetuses Most at Risk

NAS – 60,000 children born annually with symptomsEPA – Over 600,000 born with Hg levels above what is

deemed “Safe”

• Many Sources of Mercury, Both Manmade and Natural

Minimata, Japan

Iraq

Colorado Mercury Advisories

Fish Consumption Advisories for Mercury

Source: National Listing of Fish and Wildlife Advisories; map courtesy of U.S. EPA

Water QualityMonitoring

Computer Modeling

Public Health Data

Air QualityMonitoring

Fish Consumption

Data

Env’l Pollution Permits

Demographics Data

Assessing Mercury Impacts

Historical Mining Releases

Hg

Question: How Target Important Issues?

• Immediate, urgent, or significant human health risk?• Potential for environmental harm or significant benefit? • Is there a well-defined set of impacts?• Is the problem recurring or a cluster of occurrences?• Is it within the agency’s role and jurisdiction?• Is it conceivable that success could be measured?• What are the public expectations? • Is the problem important to the public?• Would staff and stakeholders be willing to work on it?

Question: How Target Important Issues?Answer: Environmental Problem Solving

Assessing Mercury Sources

Mercury Monitoring (Air)Mercury Inventories

Include MDN map of Hg deposition

                                                                           

                     

General Mercury Deposition Observations

• Deposition Values Can Be Highly Variable(e.g., Mesa Verde, Colorado)

• Variability May Imply Importance of Local and Regional Mercury Sources

• “Hot Spots” for Mercury Are a Real Possibility • Local Water Bodies With High Mercury in Fish• Core Sampling Indicates Hg Increases Align with

When Power Plants Came Online• Dry Deposition of Mercury Is A Critical Issue

– Needs Further Understanding

Sources

http://www.epa.gov/mercury/control_emissions/emissions.htm

Mercury Inventory Efforts

Colorado Mercury Sources (Air)

Annual Mercury Releases by Industry

29%

28%

25%

9%

4%2%3%

Steel Manufacturing

Power Plants

Automotive Switches

Crematoria

Cement Manufacturing

Gold Mining

Other

• Of Large Mercury Sources, Only Crematoria Remain Unaddressed

Addressing Mercury

Regulatory (CAMR)

Non- Regulatory(Pollution Prevention)

Addressing Mercury

Regulatory(CAMR)

Non- Regulatory(Pollution Prevention)

Mercury Emissions from Power Plants

• Power Plants are Largest Man-Made Air Source in U.S.• Mercury is Natural Component of Coal• For Fate and Transport, Chemistry is Key

- Hg0 versus Hg2 - Chlorine Content- Not All Coal Created Equally

• Emissions Contribute to “Global Pool” But…Are Likely Local Contributors as Well

• Emissions From Plants Being Addressed byClean Air Mercury Rule

• EPA Rule to Control Mercury Emissions from Coal-Fired Electric Utilities

• National Cap Distributed by EPA to States

• States Distribute Mercury Allowances to Facilities

• Some States with Excess Allowances (CO), Some

With “Deficits” (AZ)

• States to Develop Plan of Action for Allowances by November 2006

• Working with Numerous Stakeholders to

Develop Plan;

• Plans May Include Mercury Control From Facilities

“Clean Air Mercury Rule”

Controlling Mercury From Power Plants

• “Not All Coal Created Equal” Means “Not One Size Fits All” for Controls

• “Co-Control” of Pollutants Important (PM Control and Hg)

• Technological Advances Leading toIncreased Hg Control (Pilot Projects)

• Coal Cleaning, Coal Blending, Fuel Switching

Addressing Mercury

Regulatory Non- Regulatory(Pollution Prevention)

Water QualityMonitoring

Computer Modeling

Public Health Data

Air QualityMonitoring

Fish Consumption

Data

Env’l Pollution Permits

Demographics Data

Assessing Mercury Impacts

Historical Mining Releases

Hg

Mercury-Free Colorado Campaign Initiatives

• Problem Characterization • Industry (Automotive Switch)• Dental• Consumer• Public Education and Outreach• Crematoria

2005Champion

EnvironmentalAchievement

Award

Problem Characterization

• TRI Captures Some Mercury Releases- Significant Amounts not Inventoried IncludingComputers, Auto Switches, Thermostats, Fluorescent Bulbs, Dental Amalgam, Crematories, Thermometers, Etc.

• CDPHE Prepared More Comprehensive Inventory

• ~ 7800 Pounds of Mercury Released Annually*- Includes Natural and Man Made Sources

• Important Areas for Targeting Identified

* Circa 2004 Estimate

Industry Mercury ProjectGoal: Reduce mercury pollution via implementation of automotive switch removal program designed to ultimately reduce air emissions at steel mill;

Environmental Metrics/ Measurable Results

• Cooperative effort between CDPHE and the Colorado Automotive Recyclers • Identification of four dozen participating automotive recycling entities• Implementation of switch removal program at numerous automotive sites• Tens of thousands of switches removed to date• Over 130 pounds of mercury diverted from area steel mill in first two years• Citizen group providing input on how to expand program to neighboring states• CAR assisting with design of new ideas, programs

Dental P2 ProjectGoal: Reduce mercury releases to wastewater from dental offices by implementing P2 pilot program at Colorado dental offices

Also, reduce mercury released to other media (air - incineration, land – disposal)

Environmental Metrics/ Measurable Results

• Partner with the City of Pueblo, Pueblo City-County Health Department, and Colorado Mental Health Institute

• Established a baseline of the information, resources, and equipment used by or available to dentists

• Identified barriers to implementing best management practices and best available technologies for mercury recovery

• Conducted trainings with area dentists

• Pueblo Area Dentists Implementing BMPs, looking statewide

Environmental Metrics/ Measurable Results• Education Materials Developed for Heating, Ventilation

and Air Conditioning Contractors• To Date, Nearly 1,300 Thermostats Diverted• Local HDs Working to Collect Additional

Hg-Containing Materials

Consumer Mercury ProjectGoal: 1) Prevent disposal of mercury-containing

thermostats to landfills through promotion of thermostat collection and recycling, and;2) Raise public awareness to this mercury source

Environmental Metrics/ Measurable Results

• Survey Developed for Citizens and Local Agencies Throughout State – Allowing For their Involvement and Feedback

• Outreach Strategy Developed • Website Active and Popular• Email Service Effective – Many pounds of Mercury Diverted• Numerous Presentations Made (Community Groups, Universities, etc.)• Press Releases, Newsletters (Colo. EH Assoc.), etc.• Traditional Household Hazardous Waste Program Partnerships, Local HD • Thermometer Exchange - over 10,000 Households Reached• Fish Consumption Advisories, Eventual Consumer Surveys

Public Education and OutreachGoal: Raise Awareness to Mercury Issues and Inform Citizens

of Options Available to Them

Crematory Initiative

• Dental Amalgam Known Mercury Source• Mercury Released When Dental Fillings Are Volatilized

During Cremation• Mercury Inventory Identifies Crematoria as Significant Source• Up to 100 Pounds Released Annually from Colorado Sources• Prefer Pollution Prevention “Carrot” over Regulatory “Stick” • Effort to Work with Colorado Crematoria, Funeral Homes and

Trade Associations to Identify Best Management Practices• Possibly Work Through Organ Donor Alliances • CDPHE Success with Approach When Applied to Other Industries• Some Obvious Challenges - Social and Ethical Mainly

Lessons Learned with Mercury

• Protection of Public Health First Priority (FCAs)• Data Continue to Come In (1999 ICR and Others), Drive

Decisions and Next Steps• Fate and Transport of Emissions Are Challenging• Improved/ Expanded Monitoring (Air and Water) May

Be Necessary• Solutions Can be Multi-Faceted and Cross Media in Nature

Closing Comments• Mercury Issue/Problem to be Here for Long Time

e.g., CDC Report on Environmental Exposures• For Power Plants, Full Benefit and Timeliness of

EPA Rule Unknown• Other Areas of Opportunity (Pollution Prevention)• Voluntary Reductions With Some Success• Metrics Imply Reductions in Environmental Impacts• May Need to Do More in Reducing Mercury to Meet

Public Health Mandates

Contact Information

Mark McMillan, MSCDPHE

Mercury and Environmental Problem Solving Programs303-692-3140

mark.mcmillan@state.co.us

Supplemental Slides

Fish Tissue Sampling Activities• Fish Consumption Most Significant Pathway of Exposure• CDPHE with 5-Year Game Plan to Monitor Waterbodies• To Date, Several Waterbodies Contain Fish with Mercury

Concs. Above Levels of Concern• CDPHE Water Quality Working with Div. Of Wildlife and

DCEED to Post Consumption Advisories• CDPHE also Working to Identify Sources of Mercury

and Eventually Secure Reductions, As Feasible• First Phase TMDL Developed for Two Waterbodies • Many Other Colo. Waterbodies Well Below Levels

of Concern