Be careful what you toss in the frying pan after a day of fishing. These days, the well-equipped angler needs not only tackle, lures, sunscreen and cold beverages but also must be savvy about which fish in which lakes are safe to eat.
The state Department of Public Health and Environment and the Division of Wildlife have flagged 11 reservoirs this year as containing some fish that some people shouldn’t eat, or at least eat very often. Overall, 11 species of fish have varying levels of contamination.
The culprit at nine lakes is mercury, which is toxic and particularly dangerous for pregnant women and kids under 6.
Mercury and fish are a bad combination, because fish accumulate the metal in their bodies. As small fish are eaten by bigger fish who are eaten by the biggest fish, mercury levels add up. Warnings about fish to avoid usually involve large species like northern pike, walleye and bass.
Nationally, emissions from coal-burning power plants are one of the largest sources of airborne mercury, which can travel for long distances before settling into bodies of water. (Colorado sources emit about 1 ton of mercury a year, although an undetermined amount comes from out of state. About 30 percent of state emissions are from power plants.)
Far from Colorado’s pristine mountain lakes, bureaucrats, scientists, lawyers and interest groups in Washington has been wrestling over mercury. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency removed power stations from the list of industries that must reduce mercury to the maximum extent. Instead, the EPA proposed a rule that overall would cut emissions from 48 tons a year now to 15 tons by 2018. But critics are worried that the strucuture of the plan could actually increase mercury emissions for a time in some areas, including Colorado. The EPA published its new mercury rule on June 9. Ten days later, 16 states went to court to block it.
Colorado isn’t part of the lawsuit, but Dennis Ellis, director of the health department, points out that the new rule gives Colorado wide discretion in how to apply it. State scientists are preparing recommendations for the Air Quality Control Commission to consider, possibly later this summer.
The state should give top consideration to the health of Colorado’s citizens and the safety of its lakes when setting standards.
In the meantime, anglers should look after themselves. Affected lakes are posted, and for full details, go to cdphe.state.co .us/wq/fishcon/fishcon.htm.
