Environmental Perspective
Ms. Felice Stadler
National Wildlife Federation

To date, the U.S. EPA has not completed a thorough analysis of the cost of mercury contamination, and the economic benefits that will be gained from cleaning up the contamination. Nevertheless, one can make some general assumptions on the potential costs associated with mercury pollution by looking at the intrinsic value of those resources; additionally one can examine the economic costs to those industries that are dependent on healthy fisheries, like the recreational fishing industry. Perhaps more important, though, is evaluating whether there are feasible, cost-effective alternatives to mercury containing products and processes, and if there are, what steps can be taken to eliminate the sources of mercury pollution.

The National Wildlife Federation has been leading a campaign in Michigan calling on the state to adopt a mercury phase-out plan. Advocacy on the federal level has focused primarily on control strategies for coal-fired power plants and consumer products. Through this work, NWF is completing an economic analysis to better understand the cost of implementing a phase-out plan. Information also is being compiled on the cost of mercury control for power plants, and the cost of mercury-free products. Preliminary results of this research will be presented.

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