Move on mercury.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Another stain will mark the Bush administration's environmental record if it fails to move quickly to better protect children from the harmful effects of mercury pollution.

Earlier this year, an Environmental Protection Agency advisory committee reported that 15 percent of the 4 million babies born each year in the United States may be exposed to harmful mercury levels in the womb. Such exposure can cause fetal neurological damage and learning problems.

That's roughly twice the previously assumed rate, a finding that should prompt swift action by the EPA to require this nation's coal-burning power plants and manufacturers to cut mercury emissions.

Mercury released into the atmosphere enters the food chain, particularly in certain kinds of fish such as tuna and mackerel. Under the Clinton administration, the government acted to cut back mercury emissions aggressively by including it with other toxins such as lead or asbestos that are to be reduced through emissions control technologies.

Late last year, however, the Bush administration proposed its ``Clear Skies'' initiative, a less rigorous approach to mercury cleanup. By 2010, the new rules would permit an appalling 522 percent more mercury emissions than would occur if the Clean Air Act were fully enforced.

Under the administration's proposal, companies could avoid cleanup requirements by purchasing pollution credits from other utilities hundreds of miles away. Such trading systems can be effective in reducing pollutants such as carbon dioxide, which have a global impact. But the effects of mercury pollution are largely local, making a geographically broad trading program ineffective.

The EPA should act on the recommendations of its own advisory committee and adopt tough regulations for cutting mercury emissions at coal-burning power plants and other sources. A good starting point for EPA Director Michael Leavitt would be draft regulations endorsed by his predecessor, Christie Whitman, that would cut mercury emissions from power plants by 90 percent within the next four years.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should do a better job of warning consumers about foods that may contain high mercury concentrations. FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan is expected to soon announce new dietary guidelines on mercury in fish, which would help pregnant and nursing women limit intake of the contaminant.

Oregonians can take some pride in their state's actions on mercury. State health officials are required to keep the public informed about which lakes and rivers contain high mercury levels and advise which fish to avoid or to consume in moderation. Oregon also provides stricter dietary recommendations than the FDA currently offers.

The new EPA study shows that mercury is more harmful to fetuses and nursing babies than previously believed. It should prompt the Bush administration to move swiftly to put tougher emissions rules in place and to follow Oregon's lead in providing clearer, stronger consumer warnings.