What steps are being taken to reduce the mercury levels in fish, the leading cause of fish advisories?
US human-caused emissions of mercury to the air have declined more than 45% since passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. These amendments provided new authority to EPA to reduce emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants to the air. In 1990, more than two-thirds of U.S. human-caused mercury emissions came from just three source categories: coal fired power plants, municipal waste combustion and medical waste incineration. Regulations were issued in the 1990s to control mercury emissions for burning waste. In addition, actions to limit the use of mercury, most notably Congressional action to limit the use of mercury in batteries and EPA regulatory limits on the use of mercury in paint, contributed to the reduction of mercury emissions from waste combustion during the 1990s by reducing the mercury content of waste. More recent regulation, including limiting mercury emissions from chlorine production facilities that use mercury cells and regulation of industrial boilers, will
