For an unknown period of time, the 5 petroleum refineries in the Bay Area have not kept any records about their mercury waste, estimated during 2007 to be 3700 pounds every year, contributing to one of the most pervasive cancer clusters in the United States nicknamed the "Carquinez Cancer Alley", and contributing to the incidence of mental and physical disorders caused by mercury in the unborn.
Recently, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board has found the 5 petroleum refineries to be in contempt of the public ecology, and during 2007 were fining them with a penalty of $1000 per day until they figured out a way to explain where all the mercury waste goes.
Unfortunately, before 2007, all 5 Bay Area refineries have "excused" themselves from explaining why they never kept records of where the mercury waste goes, in contempt of the Clean Air Act, and their lawyers have helped write a methodology to account for mercury waste that will not negatively impact investors shares. In other words, there is a strong chance that, since 2007, they have manipulated the data, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board has accepted the petroleum refinery's methodology as official governmental policy, and the public never notices the difference.
This is a call to anybody who is opposed to mercury in our common eco-system.
We need verified, independent, mercury testing conducted by an assembly of Bay Area and Sacramento Delta residents. We are all in danger... the unborn are being affected by autism, nerve damage and loss of cognitive intelligence, we suffer from the politics of collusion between governmental entities and petroleum companies, there is the danger to our water, fisheries, habitats, farmlands, and our long-term survival!
All Communities across the eastern San Pablo Bay Area are especially affected by the actions conducted by the 5 refineries, including Antioch, Hercules, Richmond, Benicia, Vallejo, Suisun, San Pablo, Martinez, and all other in between!
* Secure the report by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board documenting the estimates for mercury waste emissions of the 5 Bay Area petroleum refineries.
* Substantiate the science connecting autism with mercury.
* Contact and invite comment from anti-mercury advocacy organizations across the USA for studies, speakers to invite, and advice.
* Invest in inexpensive environmental monitering systems.
* Produce fliers based on the information collected.
Bay Area Petroleum Refinery Mercury Air Emissions, Deposition, and Fate (2009) [waterboards.ca.gov/sanfranciscobay/water_issues/programs/TMDLs/sfbaymercury/Hg_Air_Dep_SFB_Refineries%20_WSPA.pdf]
2007-05 "The Case of the Missing Mercury" from "Econews" newsletter of the "Northcoast Environmental Center":
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