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 Preshow Return to index of stories... |
Next on New Hampshire Outlook. The struggle for New Hampshire fisherman continues with a partial victory. We wrap-up a special week-long look at the Granite State's hidden hazards. In this program, we're looking at mercury poisoning - the problem and what's being done about it. And how serious are the warnings of terrorist attacks? We talk with a terrorism specialist. |
| Hello Return to index of stories... |
Hello. I'm Allison McNair. Welcome to NH Outlook. |
| Fishing Return to index of stories... |
New Hampshire fishermen have won a partial victory in the groundfish war. Federal judge Gladys Kessler has vacated her previous order which established new rules that fishermen argued would have forced many out of business. She decided to enforce a settlement that had previously been agreed to among fishermen and environmentalists. In her decision, Judge Kessler said last month's ruling - quote - would cause grave economic and social hardship, as well as injustice to individuals, to families, to fishing communities, and to surrounding cities and state. Earlier this week on Outlook we looked at the plight of New Hampshire fishermen struggling under the new federal restrictions. We checked back with the New England Fisheries Management Council which is - pleased with the judge's decision. It will provide economic relief for the fishermen and it is good for conservation as well." Governor Jeanne Shaheen says the settlement isn't perfect, but it goes further in protecting the livelihoods of New Hampshire fisherman than the judge's original order. |
| Intro Mercury Return to index of stories... |
A recent study has shown that loons in the southeastern part of the state have a 90 percent risk of being poisoned by mercury. All this week we've looked at the hidden hazards in our environment. Tonight we look at some of the causes of mercury pollution and what’s being done about it. Susan Hajdu reports. |
| mercury Return to index of stories... |
Shots of loons and nat sound of calls Herb Cilley 1-37:30-1-37:33 "They have such an enchanting call." Herb on camera 1-41:32 - 1-42:01 "They know me. They know my voice even if I’m on another boat. I was over to Pawtuckaway Lake looking at some bird nests. And over there a guy said, ‘I never had the birds come as close to the boat as when you were in it.’ And, I believe they’re progeny from the birds here – they recognize my voice from when they were chicks. Narr 1: Herb Cilley has spent 30 years admiring the loons on Bow Lake, earning him the title of Loon Ranger. But the birds he dearly loves are in trouble in certain areas of New Hampshire. David Evers 2-00:50-2-01:04 "We estimate that 90 percent of the loons in Southeastern New Hampshire have levels of mercury that are higher, that are so high that they cause problems for the birds, either reproductive or behavioral." Narr 2: David Evers is Director of the BioDiversity Research Institute in Falmouth, Maine. A recent study by the Institute compared mercury levels in the blood and eggs of Common loons throughout New Hampshire and identified the serious impact of mercury poisoning. Dave 2:02:16-2:02:24 "What we’re finding overall is that the high mercury loons produce 40 percent fewer young than low mercury loons. That’s the bottom line." Standup: "This is Swain’s Lake in Barrington, NH. It’s one of half a dozen lakes in southeastern NH that have been identified as a mercury hotspot." Narr 3 - Which means that the mercury levels found in the blood and eggs of loons is abnormally high. The study identified six bodies of water -- Swain's Lake, Mendum's Pond, Pawtuckaway Lake, Tower Hill Pond, Massabesic Lake and Ayers Pond. In fact, Swain’s Lake and Mendum’s Pond in Barrington have mercury levels higher than any other egg or breeding loon in the country. Tom Niejadlik 2-12:00ish-2-12:33? "What happens is the mercury gets into the sediment and is taken up by the plants and there’s a bacteria that changes it from mercury into methylmercury. Methymercury is, I don’t know, 100 times more toxic than mercury." Dave 2-05:29-2-05:51 "And once the methylmercury is in the water it goes quickly into the food web, primarily initially through the plankton. Fish eat those plankton, bigger fish eat those fish, and we eat the fish or fish eaters, such as the loons, eagles and otter, eat those fish." Doug 1-13:15 "There’s a very clear crescent of impact and it’s the downwind that are most affected." Narr 4 - Downwind from the coal-fired power plant in Bow. It’s a major source of mercury deposition according to Doug Bogen, New Hampshire director for Clean Water Action. Doug Bogen 1-09:46-1-10:08 "We know that the largest sources throughout the country are coal-fired power plants. There’s something on the order of 600 plants throughout the country, everyday emitting dozens of tons of mercury and it’s coming down in the rain in depositions and that’s affecting the whole region. But, what we’re finding is there are these hot spots that can’t be tied to emissions from the Midwest power plants out in this and other states. It appears that they’re more likely to be coming from in-state sources – our own power plants, coal plants such as the one in Bow, and from waste incinerators." Narration 5 - But not all who have examined the mercury problem agree on the major source. Especially when it comes to Mendum’s and Swain’s Lakes. Tom Niejadlik is Manager of the Air Toxics Section at the NH Department of Environmental Services. Niejadlik 2-19:05 "Most of the time, the air is blowing from the Northeast to the Southeast, which means most of the pollution is traveling that way. The two lakes that have the high mercury levels are almost due east of the plant. While they do have some impact, it’s not a major impact on those two lakes." Narration 6 - There are many sources of mercury in the environment. While some is naturally occurring, the majority is man-made, coming from medical and municipal waste incinerators as well as direct discharge into lakes. Niejadlik 2-11:30 "If there was a business near the lake that used mercury in its process, that could be discharged directly into the lake. Because mercury stays in the environment for up to 50-75 years, it could have been a business that’s been gone for a long time and we’re not aware of it." 2:11:40 Evers 2- 6:55ish "We can related those hot spots in the relationship with sources nearby – local sources such as a few incinerators and coal burning facilities. It appears that it’s very plausible that there’s a link between local sources and the elevated mercury levels that we see in Southeast NH." 2-07:10 Narration 7 - The Wheelabrator Company owns two incinerators, one in Concord and the other in Claremont. The facilities burn municipal waste. The Concord plant used to be the single largest source of mercury in the state. But recently, they retrofitted their stacks, dramatically reducing mercury emissions. Niejadlik 2-14:35 "In effect, the testing has shown it reduces mercury emission by up to 97%. That’s happened at the Concord facility and by next year it’ll happen in the Claremont incinerator and those are the two largest incinerator we have in the state. Beyond that, we’ve also put on a strict limit on medical waste incinerators for mercury emissions and, as result, all but two medical waste incinerators have closed in the state since we’ve introduced the strategy." Narration 8 - And recently, the state passed a Clean Power Act. It requires fossil-fuel power plants to reduce their output of several pollutants and to measure mercury emissions. Future legislation will determine a cap on mercury emissions. Doug 1-20:46 "There needs to be testing for sure. They have to have a baseline to know where they’re going, but we don’t feel that that should be an excuse to leave the problem for future legislatures to decide. What the bill does is, it gives authority to DES to determine what they think would be an appropriate cap in 2004, and then action is to be done by the legislature to enact that in 2005. We’re delaying addressing the problem for another three years, and we feel we have enough information now, at least to set a goal for reduction." 1:21:30ish Niejadlik 2-23:11 - "Can you get mercury out? How do you stop it from multiplying exponentionally?" "You can’t. There’s no way to get it out in a quick manner. In fact, there’s been some estimates that if we stopped all mercury emissions now, today, it would be up to 20 years before the mercury works its way out of the ecosystem and the fish would be safe to eat." Narration 9 - Loons need the fish from these lakes to survive. But people should avoid or limit their consumption of certain freshwater fish, like bass, pickerel and perch. Tom 2-22:27 "And, it’s the same for saltwater fish, the predator fish, the swordfish, the shark, those are the ones you want to avoid because they eat fish that are contaminated with mercury and it biomagnifies in their meat. And especially, again adults can eat certain amounts, they can tolerate more but children are susceptible and pregnant women are because it’s transferred to the fetus and can harm the development of the brain." 2-2:23 Evers 2-10:38 "I think that the take home message from the study is that the mercury levels in Southeast NH are high enough that they warrant further investigation. They’re high enough to cause problems or impacts to the loons and other fish eating birds and even to our own health. If you want to eat fish from some of these lakes, I wouldn’t recommend it, mercury levels are that high." Doug 1-23:34 "It’s all our futures. It’s not just the loons, it’s not just a few people, it’s all of us and we all have a stake in the future of this problem and the solutions that are developed." 1:23:47 Narration 10 - For NH Outlook, I’m Susan Hajdu. |
| tag Return to index of stories... |
Thursday, the EPA released its annual Toxics Release Inventory report for the year 2000. For the very first time Mercury emissions were included in the report. The report shows that there were about 135 pounds of Mercury released in New Hampshire. PSNH spokesman Martin Murray says its power plants accounted for about 45 of those pounds - far less Mercury than what some claim PSNH emits. PSNH says its calculation includes accounting for the trapping of Mercury by it pollution reduction equipment. Actual testing of Mercury emission by PSNH will begin within the next year, In another measure to reduce mercury in the environment, New Hampshire recently became the first state to require dentists to reduce mercury releases from amalgam fillings, thereby keeping it out of the waste water stream. House Bill 1251 also requires the creation of an information pamphlet for patients, outlining the risks and benefits of restorative dental materials. And, you can do your part to reduce Mercury emissions if you have an old mercury fever thermomter. The Wheelabrator waste incinerators in Concord and Clairmont offer a free thermometer swap program. Just bring in your old thermometer and trade it in for a new, non-mercury digital thermometer. For more information, call 753-8411 or 542-8764. And finally, the NH Department of Health and Human Services publishes a fish consumption advisory about mercury and other pollutants. For more information, call 1-800-852-3345 or visit their website www-dot-dhhs-dot-state-dot-nh-dot-us. Click on Environmental Health and Risk Assessment. |
| Trout-terrorism Return to index of stories... |
Terrorism Discussion Thursday May 23, 2002 Starting question: Tom, how serious are the threats of more terrorist attacks? How is this information obtained? Detainees at Guantanamo Bay, terrorist chatter? Are suicide attacks in the U.S., like the ones in Israel, a real possibility? Will people have to change the way they treat unattended bags or packages? Is there the possibility that the threats could be a diversion for other attacks? How should citizens walk the fine line between being vigilant and panicking? Do you think people are changing their plans? Is this information being made public, in your opinion, because of the recent criticism about what was known before September 11th? Is there no longer bipartisan support for the war on terror? As the 2002 election nears, has this become a political issue? What is your assessment of air travel security? |
| Supco Redistricting Return to index of stories... |
In other news. the New Hampshire Supreme Court may wind up imposing redistricting plans - if lawmakers don't get the job done. After the House and Senate failed to come up with a plan on Wednesday, the state supreme court stepped in. Plans must be filed by June sixth and the court may hear oral arguments June 11th. If lawmakers enact a plan before the court does, it says it will terminate its proceedings. |
| Tyco Lawsuit Return to index of stories... |
A California company is suing New Hampshire's Tyco International, alleging anti-competitive business practices. Masimo Corporation says Tyco has unfairly cut it out of more than 90 percent of the market for blood-oxygen monitors and cables. Sales of the monitors top 500 million dollars a year in the United States. |
| Intro Mt. Washington Return to index of stories... |
The granite state was clear and dry Thursday. We checked in with Meteorologist Nicole Plette at the Mount Washington Observatory to see what conditions were like on the mountain. |
| Intro calendar Return to index of stories... |
Looking ahead to the holiday weekend, there is no shortage of exhibits and concerts aqvailable to entertain us. Here are just a few opportunities in this week's arts calendar. |
| calendar Return to index of stories... |
At Home in The World\Keene\May 24-26\603 358-2168 Fine Arts & Crafts\Wolfeboro\May 25-26\603 569-2200 Family Memory Day\Canterbury\May 25\603 783-9511 Chamberworks - The Apollo Trio\Hanover\May 26\603 646-2422 Rock, Roll & Remember\Weirs Beach\June 1\603 366-5531 "Pickin' on Alzheimer's" Benefit \Moultonboro\June 1\603 726-3471 Six Clay Artists\Concord\through July 7\603 226-2168 The Magic of Harry Potter\Nashua\June 2\603 595-9156 |
| website Return to index of stories... |
For information on our program, and links to our guests and interviews, log on to our web site at nhptv.org. You can see and hear streaming video of our broadcasts. If you've got a story idea or comment on our program, we want your feedback. Call us at 800-639-2721. |
| Tomorrow Return to index of stories... |
On the next New Hampshire Outlook - Journalists from around the state join us to help put the week's headlines into perspective. |
| Goodnight Return to index of stories... |
That's it for this edition of our program. For all of us here at New Hampshire Public Television, I'm Ally McNair. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you next time on New Hampshire Outlook. |
| founders Return to index of stories... |
Thanks to our founding sponsors who have provided major funding for the production of New Hampshire Outlook: New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Public Service of New Hampshire Alice J. Reen Charitable Trust Putnam Foundation Stratford Foundation |
| WEB PROMO-fri Return to index of stories... |
Tonight on New Hampshire Outlook. journalists from around the state help us put the week's headlines into perspective. Tonight at 10pm on New Hampshire Outlook. |
| Wnd Monday at 10 Return to index of stories... |
Monday on a special holiday edition of NH Outlook we'll share the personal stories of Vietnam dog handlers and their canine comrades. War Dogs monday at 10 only on NH Outlook. |
| monday 10-tonight Return to index of stories... |
Tonight on a special holiday edition of NH Outlook we'll share the personal stories of Vietnam dog handlers and their canine comrades. War Dogs tonight at 10 only on NH Outlook. |
| key: environment Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time:5/23/02 / 2200 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 8:31 In addition to a summary of the day's top New Hampshire stories, this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, included a report on some of the causes of mercury pollution and what’s being done about it. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Susan Hajdu NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Herb Cilley\"Loon Ranger" David Evers\BioDiversity Research Institute Tom Niejadlik\Dept of Environmental Srvcs Doug Bogen\Clean Water Action David Evers\BioDiversity Research Institute Doug Bogen\Clean Water Action Tom Niejadlik\Dept of Environmental Srvcs |
| key: national politics / government Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time:5/23/02 / 2200 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 10:00 In addition to a summary of the day's top New Hampshire stories, this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, included a discussion on terrorism. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Allison McNair NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Prof. Tom Trout / UNH Poltical Science Dept. |
| Tonight 10:00 Return to index of stories... |
Tonight on New Hampshire Outlook. Some of the highest levels of mercury found anywhere in the country are right here in New Hampshire. We find out why and what is being done about it tonight at 10pm on New Hampshire Outlook. |