the

L4FP

VISION

the

Illinois Academy of Family Physicians

VOICEof Today's

Family Physician

RECEIVEDCLERK'S

OFFICE

SEP 2 0 2006

STATE OF

ILLINOIS

Pollution Control Board

President

Kathleen J . Miller, M

.D .

President-Elect

Steven D . Knight, M .D .

Chair of the Board

Fredric D. Leary, M .D .

Treasurer

Michael P . Temporal, M .D.

First Vice President

Javette C Orgain, M .D.

Second Vice President

Patrick A

. Tranmer, M .D.

Executive Vice President

Vincent D . Keenan, C.A .E

.

Board of Directors

2007

Karole A. lakota, M .D .

Manoj Mathew, M .D .

Anna Mies-Richie, M .D .

2008

James Cunnar, M

.D.

Ashwani Garg, M .D

.

Michael P. Temporal, M

.D .

2009

Deborah L. Edberg, M .D .

Michael E . McGarry, M .D .

Carrie E . Nelson, M .D.

New Physician

Tina M . Bmeschke, Mn

Resident

Allison Rittrnann, M .D .

Student

Aamn ranger

AAFP Delegates

Kelly Catrell, Jr., M .D.

Christine A Petty, M .D.

AAFP Alternate Delegates

Ellen S . Brull, M .D

.

Tim J . Vega, M .D .

September 19, 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 Academy of Family Physicians 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 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, mercury 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 eat 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

.

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

.

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

.

mercury pollution at its largest sources

- coal-fired power plants

concentrations in fish and lower the harmful effects of mercury

-MORE-

So by reducing

-

we can reduce mercury

exposure

4756 Main Street

800-826-7944 (In Illinois)

www .iafp.com

Lisle, IL 60532

630-435-0257 FAX

: 630-435-0433

e-mail

: iafp@iafp .com

---

Illinois must take action on mercury pollution because a new federal mercury rule scheduled to

take effect later this fall is simply not enough . The federal rule will allow coal plants to continue

using older technology and purchase the right to continue polluting at high levels rather than

forcing them 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

.

Affordable, readily available technology already has been shown to reduce mercury pollution

from coal plants by as much as 95 percent . 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. The fact that Ameren and Dynegy have already agreed to cut mercury

pollution from their power plants by 90 percent in the coming years confirms this is the right

thing to do . It's time to codify their agreements in law, so companies that haven't accepted their

corporate responsibility will do so .

Sincerely,

J

Fredric D . Leary, MD

Chair of the Board

-IAFP Support for Mercury Reduction, page 2