Protect Colorado's Air & Water From Mercury Pollution

Protect Colorado's Air & Water From Mercury Pollution

I pledge to...

I've got some alarming news.<br /><br />The Department of Energy has identified Grand Junction as a potential disposal site for our nation's mercury waste -- dumping as much as 17,000 tons of mercury over the next 40 years. The proposal would require mercury from around the country to be shipped through Colorado communities and along vital water sources such as the Colorado River, posing a huge risk to Colorado's air and water.<br /><br />If you are like me, and tremble at the thought of hundreds of liters of toxic, liquid mercury contaminating our drinking water, then you know it's time to take action. <a href="http://www.environmentcolorado.org/action/other-issues/mercury-dump?id4=ES">Join me in telling Energy Secretary Steven Chu that Colorado is not a waste depository for the Energy Department.</a><br /><br />Thankfully, Gov. Bill Ritter feels the same way we do. "Colorado's Western Slope is no place for the federal government to deposit thousands of tons of mercury," said Gov. Ritter. "The risks to ground and surface water are too great. The risks to our air quality are too great. The risks of transporting elemental mercury over long distances and on routes that run adjacent to or cross major water sources, such as the Colorado River, are too great." 1<br /><br />Click the link below to add your voice to Gov. Ritter's call to protect Colorado's water, air and open spaces, and tell Secretary Chu to keep mercury waste out of Colorado:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.environmentcolorado.org/action/other-issues/mercury-dump?id4=ES">http://www.environmentcolorado.org/action/other-issues/mercury-dump?id4=ES</a><br /><br />Mercury is a dangerous toxic metal, especially for children. Exposure can cause attention and language deficit disorders, and impaired memory, vision and motor function in children. Scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimate that 630,000 of the 4 million babies born each year are at risk of health problems due to the high level of mercury in the mother's blood. 2<br /><br /><a href="http://www.environmentcolorado.org/action/other-issues/mercury-dump?id4=ES">Take action today to ensure Colorado is taken off the list of potential mercury waste disposal sites.</a><br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Gavin Clark<br />Environment Colorado Field Organizer<br />http://www.environmentcolorado.org

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