MERC Vermont | Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution Meeting Minutes


		Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution

Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution

Meeting #27: Monday, April 30, 2001
Time: 9:00 a.m.- 11:30 a.m.
Location: Conference Room, Environmental Assistance Division
Waterbury State Complex, Waterbury, Vermont

MINUTES

Members Present:
William Bress, Vermont Department of Health
Ric Erdheim, National Electrical Manufacturers Association
Neil Kamman, Agency of Natural Resources, Water Quality Division

Guests Present:
Thomas Benoit, Agency of Natural Resources, Environmental Assistance
Dave DiDomenico, Agency of Natural Resources, Waste Management Division
Julie Hackbarth, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Waste Management Division
Doug Kievit-Kylar, Agency of Natural Resources, Environmental Assistance
Laura Routh, Addison County Solid Waste Management District
Bart Sponseller, Agency of Natural Resources, Air Division Planning Section
Karen Knaebel, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Environmental Assistance
Gary Gulka, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Environmental Assistance

The Committee members and interested parties gathered in the Conference Room of the Environmental Assistance Division in the Waterbury State Complex in Waterbury, Vermont and the meeting was called to order by Gary Gulka who was sitting in for Rich Phillips in his absence.

Agenda Item 1-
Accept minutes of the January 19^th and April 2^nd meetings and changes to today’s agenda.

January 19, 2001 minutes were reviewed – correction was made on page three for a typing correction – minutes were otherwise accepted and approved as written.

April 2, 2001 meeting minutes were reviewed and accepted as written.

Additions to the agenda:

Information regarding the Fish and Wildlife House Committee Bill regarding fish advisory postings.
Update on availability of Dental Society to attend May meeting.

Agenda Item 2-
Presentation by Bart Sponseller, DEC Air Quality Division, "Mercury Emissions Inventory and Source Apportionment/Receptor Modeling for Vermont"

Mr. Sponseller addressed the Committee by presenting a draft document that is being prepared as a mercury air emissions source inventory for the state of Vermont. Mr. Sponseller advised that this study was draft and not yet complete for publication or release.

Mr. Sponseller provided draft copies of his report to the Committee members and will also provide slides of his presentation to the members.

Release of this final document will be posted on the mercury web site (www.mercvt.org) when it is made available.

Comments:

Concern as to amounts of mercury that are released within the state from auto switches. Is there any information available on whether switches are broken and mercury released at salvage yards or doesn’t occur off site such as smelters?
Mr. Sponseller advised the Committee that a survey has been sent to Vermont’s salvage yards to determine whether vehicles are crushed in state and whether salvage yards are removing switches prior to crushing or incineration.
The Environmental Assistance Division will follow up on the results of this survey in connection with their own vehicle switch reduction efforts and to provide any information they may have regarding current use of convenience switches to Air Quality.
Interest was expressed in examining mercury releases to water and land, which were not included in the Air Quality study.
Also important to the work of this Committee is the amount of mercury that is deposited to the water medium from in-state, out-of-state, and natural sources through wet and dry deposition and other sources.

Agenda Item 3-
Review timeline for Committee’s 2001 work plan.

The following items were briefly reviewed in a timeline work plan.

EMISSIONS/RELEASE INVENTORY (LEAD: ANR)
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING DATA (LEAD: ANR)
EDUCATION/OUTREACH (LEAD: ANR, DOH, SWD)
HUMAN EXPOSURE (SENSITIVE) LEAD: DOH
DENTAL AMALGAM (LEAD: ANR & VSDS)
HOSPITALS - FORMULATED PRODUCTS DISCLOSURE (LEAD: ANR)
COLLECTION PROGRAMS (LEAD: ANR, SWD, SPECIAL COMMITTEE)
PENDING LEGISLATION REVIEW (LEAD: ANR)
REPORT TO LEGISLATURE (LEAD: ANR)

This item will be added to the May agenda and further reviewed at that time.

Agenda Item 4-
Review information provided by Neil Kamman on concept for review monitoring data and research initiatives.

Neil Kamman presented his thoughts to the Committee for this portion of the work plan. Source apportionment in air and watersheds are prepared for fish in receiving waters. Mr. Kamman asked what should be reviewed? His suggestions were:

Know what emissions are in other states, especially in New York. Some modeling results point directly to New York, the Midwest and Canada. Mr. Kamman felt it would be important to obtain New York’s data.
Find out about direct discharges – those in wastewater treatment and those that go directly into the water bodies.

Dental offices have containment systems - what kinds of mercury concentrations are in smaller offices? -what kinds of strategies do they have to reduce discharges?
Storage reservoirs contain water – mercury in water metholates and so there are larger mercury concentrations.

Mr. Kamman believes it is important to generate some numbers on the mercury concentrations in both wastewater and water bodies.

Evaluate the amount of mercury in landfill leechate
What are the mercury discharges at transfer stations, underground tanks, etc.

This item will be added to the agenda for the next meeting for further discussion.

Agenda Item 5-
Other topics not on agenda.

Information regarding the Fish and Wildlife House Committee bill regarding fish advisory postings.

Bill Bress advised the Committee of a one-page bill (H.430) that was introduced by Mark Larson regarding fish advisories. This bill would require a determination if a particular water body has fish that are unsafe for consumption due to mercury levels. Mr. Bress explained that he testified to the House Committee that the advisories were not done by individual water body. The sponsor of the bill would like to see a copy of the advisories posted at a fishing access for each water body in which such a potential exists. Mr. Bress stated that advisories were listed in the fishing guides but the House Committee expressed a concern that this may be overlooked and the anglers needed to understand the risk. Mr. Bress told the Committee that he gave the House Committee the address of the mercury web site and mentioned Senate Bill 91 and a description of the Advisory Committee and its role. The House Committee, according to Mr. Bress, believes that Fish and Wildlife should become more involved and it was suggested that the Advisory Committee pursue Fish and Wildlife for their participation. Neil Kamman suggested that postings of the advisories could be made possible with the assistance of summer interns that will be working with his office. Mr. Kamman suggested that the Health Department provide copies of the advisories to him and that he would have his summer interns post the advisories on the signboards at the lakes.

Suggestion to add this as a work plan item

Bill Bress to bring copies of the most current fish advisories to the next advisory meeting.

Addition of this item to the work plan to be discussed at the May advisory meeting.

The Committee was advised that information regarding common misconceptions about mercury in fish was included in this year’s Fish and Wildlife fishing guide along with the fish advisories.

The Committee was advised that the draft letter, which was sent out via e-mail to be presented to the Governor and Appropriation Committees regarding funding for the manometer project, was placed on hold pending information which may change the need for the letter.

The status of the manometer project and funding will be placed on the agenda for review at the next meeting.

The Committee was advised that the Vermont State Dental Society was unable to make a presentation at the May meeting and provided potential dates for presenting at the Committee’s June Advisory meeting.

The Committee scheduled the June meeting with The Vermont State Dental Society for June 22, 2001.

The Committee voiced a concern as to the current membership of the Committee and expressed a hope that a Health Professional member, a House member, and Senate member would be appointed soon.

Karen Knaebel advised that the Governor’s office should have a decision on the Health member of the Committee by the next meeting. Copies of the letters to the House and Senate Natural Resources Committees have been sent via e-mail to the Advisory Committee members and we are still waiting for House and Senate appointments.

Agenda Item 6-
Set date and agenda for next meeting.

The next meeting of the Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution is to be held on Monday, May 14, 2001 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. The Committee also set the June meeting for Friday, June 22, 2001 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Both meetings will be held in the Conference Room of the Environmental Assistance Division in the Waterbury State Complex in Waterbury, Vermont.