News Releases - 2002

Earth Day Celebrated With Mercury Reduction Efforts; Expanded Recycling By State Agencies

Springfield, Ill. -- Governor George H. Ryan and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Renee Cipriano today announced new efforts to reduce potentially hazardous mercury in the environment, as well as additional recycling and waste reduction by state agencies.

"As we celebrate another Earth Day and the progress that has been made for a cleaner and healthier environment, Illinois will continue its work towards the elimination of environmental concerns in all of our precious natural resources," said Governor Ryan.

Director Cipriano noted Governor Ryan's Green Government Coordinating Council is sponsoring a series of mercury fever thermometer exchanges for digital thermometers at several state buildings. The first exchange was at Illinois EPA headquarters in Springfield today and will be followed with events at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago; the Illinois State Lottery and Illinois Department of Public Aid buildings in Springfield; and the state regional offices in Des Plaines and Collinsville.

In addition, Illinois EPA is teaming up with St. John's Hospital to sponsor a mercury thermometer exchange for the public at the Earth Awareness Fair in Lincoln Park in Springfield on Saturday, April 27.

Director Cipriano also announced Illinois EPA will use a $750,000 payment to the state from the Great Lakes Protection Fund to provide mercury collections for schools and hospitals and additional water and air sampling and testing to better evaluate the sources and concentrations of mercury in Illinois.

The Agency's first major Mercury Reduction Initiative will include expanded sampling and more sophisticated laboratory analysis of levels in mercury in Illinois waterways and additional air monitoring stations to better determine the sources where mercury is released into the air.

Exposure to mercury can potentially cause nervous system, kidney and liver damage, as well as fetal impairment. The annual state sports fish consumption advisory recently recommended that pregnant or nursing women, women of childbearing age and children under age 15 eat no more than one meal per week of predator fish that are most likely to contain higher amounts of methylmercury. Fish and other acquatic life bioaccumulate methylmercury that can be passed along to humans and wildlife that consume contaminated fish.

In addition, Director Cipriano announced today that Illinois EPA has launched a pilot "mini-bin" recycling and waste reduction program.

"This is part of the ongoing effort to implement Governor Ryan's Green Government initiative challenging state agencies to set an example for environmentally-sustainable practices," she said.

Certain agency employees have been given a small one quart container to replace their office garbage can. The employees' daily garbage must be placed in the new small container, encouraging them to recycle other waste.