Sep 18 06 04:19p

Executive Committee

President

Edward Pont, MD, FAAP

Elmhurst. IL

630-832-3100 (0)

630-832-1604 (F)

President-Elect

Invin Benuck. MD, PhD, FAAP

Evanston, IL

847-8693300 (0)

847-869-4330 (F)

Secretary

Jade Beth Karkos, MD, FAAP

Springfield, IL

217-545-8460 (0)

217-545-4391 (F)

Treasurer

Den Kaye, MD, FAAP

Chicago, IL

773348-8300 (0)

7733487163 (F)

Immediate Past President

Stephen E . Saunders

. MD, MPH, FAAP

Springfield, IL

217-782-2570 (O)

217-782-5672 (F)

Members

Virginia Barrow, MD, FAAP

Chicago. IL

Holly J

. Benjamin, MD

. FAAP

Chicago. IL

Helen Binna, MD, MPH. FAAP

Chicago, IL

Paula Jaudes, MD, FAAP

Chicago, IL

Kay L. Saving, MD, FAAP

Peoria, IL

Dennis L . Vickers, MD, MPH, FAAP

Chicago, IL

Academic Medical Center Liaison

Jerold Stirling, MD. FAAP

Maywcod,IL

Executive Director

Scott B . Allen

312-7334909 (0)

312-733-1791 (F)

sallen@illinoisaap

.co m

1358 W. Randolph, Suite 2 East

Chicago . IL 606071522

312733-1026 (0)

312-733-1791 (F)

m le0illinaiseap .com

vnew .illineieaap.org

IL Chapter,

RAP

312-733-1791

American Academy of Pediatrics

DEDICATED TO THE HEALTH OF ALL CHILDREN"

Illinois Chapter

September 18, 2006

Office of the Clerk

Illinois Pollution Control Board

100 W

. Randolph St.

Chicago, IL 60601

Re

: Proposed New 35 ILL . ADM

. CODE 225, Control of

Emissions from Large Combustion Sources (Mercury)

; R06-25

Dear Honorable Members of the Board :

I am writing to express The Illinois Chapter of the American

Academy of Pediatrics' support for the Illinois Environmental

Protection Agency's proposed rule to reduce mercury pollution, as

amended to include the recent agreements with Ameren and

Dynegy

. This rule is absolutely critical to protect the health of all

Illinoisans -

especially women of childbearing age, children and

the unborn - and is technologically feasible and cost effective

.

As you know, the methylmercury in coal pollution is a neurotoxin

that can pass through the placenta and poison fetal brain

development. Every day, thousands of developing fetuses,

newborns and young children are exposed to mercury when

pregnant and nursing women cat contaminated fish, or children eat

fish themselves

. Nationally, 6 to 10 percent of women of

childbearing age are estimated to have mercury levels high enough

to put their developing children at increased risk for developmental

problems

. Here in Illinois, that translates to more than 100,000

women of childbearing age whose blood mercury levels may

exceed the federal recommended limit .

Coal plants produce 71 percent of the mercury pollution emitted in

Illinois and 60 percent in the Great Lakes state as a whole

. The

southern Great Lakes region has among the highest mercury

deposition rates in the U .S. In Illinois, mercury pollution has

created severe mercury "hot spots," areas where the threat to

public health is elevated

. In fact, Illinois ranks fourth in the U

.S.

for most severe mercury pollution hot spots,

p .2

u

REFIN,S

VED

SEP 2 0 2006

PSTATE

OF ILLINOIS

Control Board

---

Sep 18 06 04:19p

Executive Committee

President

Edward Pont, MD, FAAP

Elmhurst . IL

630-832-3100 (0)

630-832-1604 (F)

President-Elect

Irwin Benuck, MD, PhD, FAAP

Evanston,IL

647-869-4300 (0)

847-869-4330 (F)

Secretary

Jerie Belh Karkos, MD

. FAAP

Springfield, IL

217-545-8460 (0)

217-545-4391 (F)

Treasurer

Ben Kayo, MD. FAAP

Chicago, IL

773-348-8300 (0)

773-348-7163 (F)

Immediate Past President

Stephen E

. Saunders, MD, MPH, FAAP

Springfield, IL

217-782-2570 (0)

217-782-5672 (F)

Members

Virginia Barrow. MD, FAAP

Chicago, IL

Holly J

. Benjamin, MD. FAAP

Chicago. IL

Helen Binns, MD . MPH . FAAP

Chicago, IL

Paula Jaudes

. MD. FAAP

Chicago, IL

Kay L . Saving, MD . FAAP

Peoria, IL

Dennis L . Vickers

. MD, MPH, FAAP

Chicago, IL

Academic Medical Center Liaison

Jerold Stirling, MD . FAAP

Maywood, IL

Executive Director

Scott G. Allen

312.733-1909 (0)

312733-1791 (F)

sallen® illinolsaap .com

1358 W . Randolph

. Suite 2 East

Chicago . IL 60607-1522

312733

.1026 (0)

312-733-1791 (F)

mfo@illinoisaap,corn

WWw.illinoisaap .0rg

IL Chapter,

RAP

American Academy of Pediatrics

DEDICATED TO THE HEALTH OF ALL CHILDREN"

Illinois Chapter

312-733-1791

What's the result of all this mercury pollution? Fish in Lake

Michigan and all Illinois waterways are contaminated with

mercury

. The problem is so bad that the Illinois Department of

Public Health warns everyone -

particularly pregnant women,

women of childbearing age and children -

to limit their

consumption of fish from every lake, river and stream in Illinois

.

Much of mercury pollution comes from local and regional sources

.

So by reducing mercury pollution at its largest sources

- coal-fired

power plants -

we can reduce mercury concentrations in fish and

lower the harmful effects of mercury exposure

. In one study, for

instance, reductions in mercury emissions led to an 80 percent

decline in mercury contamination levels in nearby fish

.

Illinois must take action on mercury pollution because a new

federal mercury rule scheduled to take effect later this fall is

simply too little, too late

. The federal rule will perpetuate mercury

hot spots like those in Illinois by allowing coal plants to continue

using older technology and purchase the right to continue polluting

at high levels rather than installing equipment to clean up their

plants and protect our health and environment

.

Illinois is not alone

. Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Michigan,

Minnesota, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, among others, have initiated

mercury reduction proposals similar to the Illinois rule, showing

the rule is reasonable and based on achievable mercury reduction

goals

. Affordable, readily available technology already has been

shown to reduce mercury pollution from coal plants by as much as

95 percent

. We don't need additional studies or research

. We

need to move forward now to protect the health of our children and

future Illinoisans .

A large, diverse coalition of doctors, hospitals, public health

officials, children's advocates, health associations and

environmental groups throughout Illinois support the proposed rule

before the IPCB

. But what really speaks volumes about this issue

is the fact that Ameren and Dynegy have already agreed to cut

mercury pollution from their power plants by 90 percent in the

P . 3

---

Sep 18 06 04:19p

IL Chapter, RAP

Executive Committee

President

Edward Pont, MD. FAAP

Elmhursl . IL

630 .832-3100 (0)

630832-1604 (F)

President-Elect

Irwin Deduct, MD, PhD, FAAP

Evanston, IL

847-869-4300 (0)

847-869-4330 (F)

Secretary

Jane Bell, Karkos

. MD. FAAP

Springfield, IL

217-545-8460 (0)

217-545-4391 (F)

Treasurer

Ben Kaye, MD, FAAP

Chicago, IL

773-348-8300 (0)

773-348-7163 (F)

Immediate Post President

Stephen E . Sounders . MD, MPH, FAAP

Springfield, IL

217-782-2570 (0)

217-782-5672 (F)

Members

Virginia Barrow, MD, FAAP

Chicago. IL

Holly J . Benjamin, MD, FAAP

Chicago, IL

Helen Binns, MD. MPH . FAAP

Chicago, IL

Paula Jaudes, MD, FAAP

Chicago, IL

Kay L

. Saving, MD, FAAP

Peoria, IL

Dennis L . Vickers, MD, MPH, FAAP

Chicago, IL

Academic Medical Center Liaison

Jerold Sliding, MD

. FAAP

Maywood, IL

Executive Director

Soon G . Allen

312-733-1909 (0)

312-733-1791 (F)

sallen g i llinoisaap.co m

1358 W. Randolph, Suite 2 East

Chicago, IL 60607-1522

312733-1026 (O)

312-733-1791 (F)

Info®Illioisaap.com

vnwr.illinoisaap org

312-733-1791

American Academy of Pediatrics

DEDICATED TO THE HEALTH OF ALL CHILDREN"

Illinois Chapter

coming years

. It's time to codify their agreements in law, and to

require companies like Midwest Generation that haven't accepted

their corporate responsibility to do the same .

Sincerely,

Edward Pont MD

President

Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

p .4