ASSOCIATED PRESS • July 22, 2022
Sen. Susan Collins wants to establish a national mercury monitoring program to try to safeguard human health from the neurotoxin. Collins said she was motivated to propose it because some lands and water bodies in her state have higher mercury pollution levels than the nation at large. The proposal would establish mercury monitoring sites around the country to measure levels in air, water and living organisms. Collins said the effort “would establish a comprehensive national monitoring network, helping to protect human health, safeguard fisheries, and track the effect of emissions reductions.”