By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — The Aroostook Band of Micmacs has completed installation of a $194,127 project to install a continuous atmospheric mercury monitoring system at their office in Presque Isle.
“The purpose of installing the mercury monitoring equipment is to document and track atmospheric mercury deposition in the Northeast. We are concerned about mercury deposition in Maine due to the statewide fish consumption advisory that severely restricts the consumption of freshwater fish, and the harmful effects on wildlife that consume fish,” said Fred Corey, environmental director for the Aroostook Band of Micmacs.
Although state and federal efforts have reduced mercury emissions in Maine and the United States, Corey said there is growing concern about global increases in mercury emissions as a result of the construction of hundreds of coal-fired utility plants in China and India that do not utilize mercury pollution control technology.
“In addition, there is also concern that climate change may result in increased mercury deposition rates,” Corey said.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the project “will help the Micmacs, other New England tribes, the Northeast states and EPA better understand human health, environmental and cultural resource risks from mercury pollution in the region.”
“Our mercury monitoring system will be part of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program’s (NADP) Atmospheric Mercury Monitoring Network (AMNet), which currently consists of approximately 16 monitoring sites in North America,” said Corey.
On Friday, Dec. 6, Mark Olson of NADP was onsite and was available to answer questions about the equipment and the mercury monitoring network.
For more information, call Corey at 764-7765 or visit www.micmacenvironmental.
com.
