4 mercury tydbyts from today's news

[Guest guest]

Read the Tribune series

" The Mercury Menace " at http://www.chicagotribune.com/mercury

* * * *

Exported mercury returns to haunt U.S.

Recycled toxin goes overseas, but ends up in atmosphere

By Hawthorne

Tribune staff reporter

August 8, 2006

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0608080099aug08,1,3489462.sto\

ry

Tons of toxic mercury from U.S. recycling programs are funneled each year

to loosely regulated industries in developing countries, where much of the

hazardous metal is released into the atmosphere.

Scientists say some of that air pollution can drift back to this country

and contaminate lakes and rivers, undercutting aggressive efforts to keep

mercury out of the environment...

***********

August 8, 2006

Plant told to cut mercury dumping

Releases in W. Va. affect Ohio River

By Bruggers

jbruggers@...

The Courier-Journal

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060808/NEWS01/608080\

372

A West Virginia environmental board has ordered the largest source of

mercury dumping in the Ohio River to curtail discharges of the heavy

metal.

The PPG Industries chlorine plant near New sville, W. Va., put 32

pounds of mercury into the Ohio River in 2004 -- the largest amount a

single plant put into any U.S. waterway, according to the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency...

***********

Families retain a lawyer after toxic testing

By Sam Wood and Jan Hefler

Inquirer Staff Writers

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/new_jersey/counties/camden_\

county/15224045.htm

At least two Gloucester County families whose children attended a day care

that opened in a former thermometer factory have hired a lawyer, saying

their children show symptoms of mercury poisoning.

Meanwhile, parents, workers and neighbors of Kiddie Kollege were still

awaiting answers yesterday to how the day care could have been allowed to

open on a site known to have been contaminated.

" It's just something that should have never happened, " said Rose

Smierciak, whose 7-year-daughter, Krisley, attended Kiddie Kollege. " I

don't know who's ultimately responsible for this, and that's the honest

truth. " ...

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