Coal is just black rock, seemingly harmless. At least that is how the coal interests were portraying coal recently to school kids in Seward by handing out treat bags with coal and pieces of "candy coal." It is akin to the tobacco companies marketing to our children with Joe Camel and candy cigarettes. "Familiarity" does not mean "harmless," and the results can have long-term devastating health and environmental outcomes. Our children are too young to sort out the coal facts, so it is up to us to make sense out of the long-term consequences of coal.
Coal is not harmless. Coal gets burned and all those parts that make up coal get changed, released and distributed. The short list includes carbon dioxide (CO2), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), breathable particulates and mercury -- not to mention the devastation of the land that occurs when coal is stripped out of the earth. I am not an alarmist. I am an environmental toxicologist ,and I have spent the last 30 years involved with the cleanup of hazardous waste sites: sites where people have been unnecessarily exposed to toxic chemicals in their soil, water, air.
Once coal is burned the real challenges begin. Let's look at mercury. Mercury is a heavy metal, which means that while it may combine with other chemicals, it is never going away. In addition, mercury belongs to a special group of chemicals in the toxicology world. Unlike a number of chemicals that toxicologists only suspect may hurt people, we know that mercury affects the brains of unborn children, produces birth defects, and damages the central nervous system and kidneys in people of any age. We know that exposures to mercury can have long-lasting and permanent health effects. We have witnessed the devastating effects in many people, including children, and we know that our unborn children are the most vulnerable and can be harmed.
When coal gets burned, mercury is released into the air and can drift for thousands of miles. In fact, mercury from coal burned in China (the proposed destination of Chuitna coal) crosses the Pacific and into Alaska. Have you ever noticed the brown cloud/haze from the west? I have, far too often. In the Arctic, mercury stays suspended in the air, then drops in "pulses" to the Earth and oceans. Once mercury settles out of the air, it washes into creeks, streams, and eventually the bays, inlets and ocean. Mercury accumulates in the sediments and is readily taken up by fish. We all know that bigger fish eat the smaller fish and the mercury ends up concentrated in the larger fish and animals.
People consume a number of these larger fish. The form of mercury in the fish is readily absorbed by us and stored in our bodies. Mercury is one of the primary reasons the state of Alaska issued fish consumption alerts in 2007. Fish are a vital part of the Alaska culture and diet. Fish contribute significantly to the quality of Alaska life. I want to protect this resource now before we reach the point of no return.
Burning coal has long-term and lasting effects. The mercury doesn't go away. It will be in the soils, ice, sediments, bays, oceans, fish and us.
I am biased, not only because I am an environmental toxicologist, but I am also a grandmother. I want my grandsons to thrive in Alaska. I want them to be able to continue to eat fish; I want their children to partake in the same richness which I have experienced. My grandsons don't understand that coal is not simply a black rock, so it is my responsibility and the responsibility of us all to set the record straight. Coal is toxic and should stay in the ground.
Debbie Oudiz, Ph.D., is an environmental toxicologist with more than 30 years of experience investigating health effects from hazardous chemicals. She formerly worked with the California Environmental Protection Agency in the cleanup of hazardous waste sites, including Superfund projects. Dr. Oudiz currently resides in Homer, where she is researching health impacts from mercury and coal-related activities. More information: http//chuitna.org/www.inletkeeper.org.
By DEBBIE OUDIZ