Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution

Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution

Meeting #45: Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Location: Conference Room, Environmental Assistance Division
Laundry Building, Waterbury State Complex, Waterbury, Vermont

MINUTES

Members Present:
William Bress, Vermont Department of Health
Mary Canales, Department of Nursing, University of Vermont
Ric Erdheim, National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
Neil Kamman, Agency of Natural Resources, Water Quality Division
Michael Bender, Abenaki Self-Help Association, Inc.
Rich Phillips, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Environmental Assistance

Guests Present:
Gary Gulka, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Environmental Assistance
Karen Knaebel, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Environmental Assistance

The Committee members and interested parties gathered in the Conference Room of the Environmental Assistance Division, Waterbury State Complex. Rich Phillips called the meeting to order.

Agenda Item 1-
Changes to today's agenda.

• Discuss Seychelles study distributed by Bill Bress.
• Discuss details of House Fish and Wildlife Committee briefing.

Agenda Item 2-
Updates.

• Committee appointments
  Two new legislative members have been appointed to the Committee, Representative Phillip Winters and Senator Ginny Lyons.
  Other Committee appointments will be coming up in August. Karen is to e-mail the list to the Committee and recommendations will be discussed at the next meeting.
• Lamp outreach efforts
  Gary Gulka briefed the Committee on the current outreach efforts as follows:
  A committee was formed to meet via conference call, which includes lamp recyclers, solid waste districts, Association of Vermont Recyclers, electrical retailers, and the retail and grocers association among others. Strategies for lamp outreach efforts have been drafted to focus on increasing recycling of lamps for commercial, business, and residential users. The Committee wants to establish base line recycling rates with information that is being provided by the lamp recyclers. A survey is also being planed to obtain information from businesses as to their current methods of disposal together with potential barriers and challenges they may be facing regarding the ease of recycling their lamps. With this information, the committee is planning to do targeted mailings to businesses. AVR who has been funded through NEMA will be providing outreach to households and small businesses. Both of these efforts will be coordinated as the groups move forward. There is a second round of EPA grants available that encourage commercial and business lamp recycling that DEC will apply for. NEWMOA, NEMA and SWANA all have received grants; we are waiting to see what materials will be developed and if they would be something we could also use. We are hoping for more funding but for now we feel we have to get some base line numbers so we can set some realistic goals for improving lamp recycling rates.
• Hospital mercury reduction program
  The Hospital outreach is being conducted with a grant awarded to Vermont Association of Hospital and Health Care Systems (VAHHS) and was subcontracted to CGH Environmental Strategies and is being worked on primarily by Glenn McRae. Every hospital has pledged to develop a plan to reduce mercury use in the hospital. Gary Gulka told the Committee that he believed that the plan is to develop a model mercury reduction plan and complete audits at hospitals that seek assistance. The contractor is providing all of the assistance, however, EAD will be involved in the workshops that will be planned. Part of this program is funded through an EPA grant. Most of the work should be completed by the end of the year. More EPA funds may be available next year in which to focus the same efforts on doctor's offices and clinics.
• Posting of fishing access areas
  Access area posting is going well. Neil Kamman and his staff have noted many postings in the conduct of their field work. Karen Knaebel reported that out of the approximate 160 access areas, about 60 areas have been posted and that about half of the town health officers that have called in and have requested additional posters to post for locations not on the access area list. Calls will be made in early June to determine postings at the additional areas that have not yet called in. The Committee was well pleased at the responsiveness of the Town Health Officers and all agreed that a letter should be sent to thank them for their efforts.
• Card room scheduling
  A call was made to check the scheduling for the 2004 card room to determine if the date could be moved. The Committee was advised that the availability was not there to change this year, and we would try to schedule for 2005 for sometime in February. The card room is scheduled for January 20, 2003.

Agenda Item 3-
Sensitive population sub-committee update - (Mercury Strategies for Sensitive Populations Outreach Committee MSSPOC)

The Advisory Committee received an outline of the draft Strategic Plan for the sensitive population outreach. This document was a product of two conference calls to determine future direction and focus. There are three main goals with 12 objectives. After refining the goals and objectives, the next step is to define specific tasks with target dates. The three goals are: 1) Increase the proportion of Vermonters, particularly sensitive populations, who are aware of the Department of Health's fish consumption advisories intended to reduce exposure to methylmercury; 2) increase the awareness of Vermont health care providers to the fish consumption advisories and encourage information sharing with patients and clients; and 3) reduce the proportion, particularly women of childbearing age, with mercury body burden exceeding state consumption advisory levels. The third goal is ultimately what we are trying to achieve with the increase in awareness. It is important to measure results and have data. These are draft goals of a multi-year effort that assumes additional resources to achieve defined tasks. The Committee felt the third goal should be reworded to better reflect its objective. Michael Bender will compare the FDA goal statement, and if it was agreed, the third goal would be revised. The draft objectives are as follows:

1. Provide mercury in fish information to women of childbearing age, pregnant women, and nursing mothers.
2. Provide mercury in fish information to parents of young children.
3. Provide mercury in fish information to health care providers (including but not limited to OB/GYN, pediatricians, childbirth educators) for dissemination to patients and clients.
4. Educate health care providers about mercury in fish.
5. Educate retail businesses that sell fish about mercury health risks, including state and federal fish consumption advisories.
6. Establish an outreach effort to retail businesses that sell fish to provide information to consumers so that they can make informed choices.
7. Identify subpopulations that consume large amounts of fish.
8. Continue to monitor mercury levels in both recreational and commercial fish.
9. Integrate warnings for both recreational and commercial fish in fish advisories.
10. Review and upgrade fish consumption advisory on a regular basis.
11. Establish mercury risk evaluation components, such as human biomonitoring of blood and hair mercury levels.
12. Educate Vermonters about mercury in fish.

The Committee believed that #8 should eliminate "Continue to" from the sentence. Objective #10 should include the words "Continue to" at the beginning of the sentence, as this is something that is already being done. Suggestion for #11 to use the reference dose or include wording "reduce to a level that is considered safe," (the intent would be to default to whatever the best science is at the time). The draft strategic plan will be revised and e-mailed to the Committee for comment.

The sub-committee (MSSPOC) will be formulating tasks to meet the objectives outlined in the strategic plan and report back to the Advisory Committee at a later meeting.

Agenda Item 4-
Other topics not on agenda.

• Discuss Seychelles study distributed by Bill Bress
  Bill Bress advised that this study is a follow-up of the Seychelles Islands study with children from the original study, now nine years old. The study found there was no correlation between the levels of mercury in the mother during pregnancy and its effects on the fetus and the levels of mercury in the children at age nine. Women in the study consumed twelve fish meals per week as compared to the US consumption rates (1 per week?) for women and the mercury level was similar. The study tried to explain the difference between these results and the conclusion was that pregnant women that eat reasonable amounts of fish will not be affected. The study followed 770 children for nine years and the levels in the children were not high. The Faroe Island and New Zealand studies involved whale blubber and shark meat, which have higher concentrations of mercury. Dr. Bress believed that from the study it appeared that it is not continuous exposure to lower levels that is as much of a problem but the consumption of fish with large levels over a short period of time. The fetus cannot keep up with the larger dose (bolus). Dr. Bress advised that he would follow the review of this document before reaching conclusions, but perhaps the advisory may be changed to meals per week instead of meals per month to fine tune the potential need to reduce bolus amounts over a shorter period of time. Emphasis should perhaps be placed on fish that have larger concentrations of mercury. The two items in the study that confound the issue are the high concentrations of selenium in the Seychelle diet, as these bind with the mercury to form a protecting barrier of sorts. One area that will possibly gain more attention is the selenium level and how that affects the mercury levels. Another area where this study may change Vermont's current limits on fish consumption is that commercial fish potentially should be brought more into the scope of the pregnant woman advisory. Michael Bender advised the Committee that he was involved in a study involving canned tuna and that a report would be released soon which he would provide to the Committee. The good news, according to Dr. Bress, is that most Vermont fish are not harmful if eaten in small amounts. Dr. Bress told the Committee that he would follow the scientific debate of this document. Dr. Bress told the Committee that both hair sampling and blood sampling can be used to determine mercury levels; however, he believed high concentrations of mercury in fish do not show up in hair levels as well; it comes down to how the person gets rid of the mercury from their system.
• Discuss details of House Fish and Wildlife Committee briefing.
  The House Fish and Wildlife Committee (F&W Committee) asked Michael Bender, Bill Bress and Neil Kamman (ACMP) to present general mercury in fish information to their committee in an effort to gain a better understanding of the mercury in fish issues. The ACMP provided copies of the 2003 annual report and found the Wildlife Committee to be interested. The ACMP felt it was a unique opportunity to provide information and the F &W Committee was receptive to collaborating with the ACMP to address current and potential future efforts for mercury reduction.
  • Suggestion to put together a group or committee to work with the F&W Committee.
  • Michael presented the Maine poster that included photos of local fish plus photos of fish purchased in the grocery store. This poster provides a visual comparative mercury level for mercury in all types of fish.
  • Concern from F &W Committee as to why there was no Fish and Wildlife member on the ACMP Committee from the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Suggestion that this be included as a recommendation in the January 2004 report.
  • Suggestion to include information in other sporting publications. Suggestion that Bill Bress do an article for Vermont Outdoors.
  • Suggestion to copy minutes to the informal committee on fish contaminants that makes determinations as to what lakes get tested and the types of fish tested, etc. (Rich Langdon, Eric Palmer and Razelle Hoffman-Contois) to keep them up on current ACMP efforts.
  • Suggestion to invite Eric Palmer from Fish and Wildlife to next meeting.
  • Next steps:
    • Neil Kamman to contact Eric Palmer to invite him to the June ACMP meeting.
    • Invite Eric Palmer to participate in Committee meetings.
    • Formulate ideas over next few months to incorporate into legislative report.
    • Engage F&W Committee; invite chair or Mark Larson to attend a November or December ACMP meeting to get comment on the recommendations in the legislative report.
    • Suggestion that all three Committees (House and Senate Natural Resources and Energy as well as House Fish and Wildlife) be a part of the discussion in a November or December ACMP meeting.
• New England Four Consortium
  The Committee was encouraged by the Vermont Department of Health's involvement in the regional grant proposal for biomonitoring of cord blood mercury levels. This grant would cover other toxins as well as mercury. Vermont will be conducting the research involving uranium. Rhode Island will be the state conducting the mercury study. Vermont will be contributing samples from which would provide data specific to this state (each state will be providing samples based on availability rather than a set amount of samples). In the past, the Federal Government has been measuring mercury levels across the country to establish a nationwide baseline. The idea now is to set up an infrastructure whereas the states will have the ability to perform these studies. This study would establish baseline regional data that is associated specifically by state. Establishing this number would also assist in more accurately diagnosing elevated mercury levels. There was concern that there would not be any correlation between cord blood sample and fish consumption. Dr. Bress advised that much of this is a matter of available funding and suggested there may be a smaller select group that could be tested to obtain more detailed information. Exposure information, he agreed, would make for a more enhanced study. Committee suggested that it may be beneficial to develop a system in advance for receiving permission to obtain cord blood samples from pregnant women. A suggestion was made to set up this sample collection system through the Vermont OB/GYN offices. Connecticut is writing the grant proposal and each state will provide its own component for the grant proposal. Bill Bress will provide a copy of the proposal when available.

Agenda Item 5-
Set date and agenda for next meeting.

The next meeting is scheduled for either Tuesday, June 24th from 1:30 to 3:30 or Monday, June 30th from 9:30 to 11:30 in the conference room at the Environmental Assistance Division, Waterbury state complex, Waterbury, Vermont. E-mail confirmation will follow.