The poison in our waterways shows up in our food

The fish are talking - and we're not referring to the musical novelty items that appear in stores during the holidays.

Last week, federal officials released a study by U.S. Geological Survey showing that mercury contamination is as widespread as many people had feared. Researchers found the neurotoxin in every fish sampled from 291 streams nationwide between 1998 and 2005.

The findings come years after officials warned that every body of water in Hampton Roads contained contaminated fish.

According to the new study, 27 percent of fish in waterways across the nation contained mercury at levels above the amount the Environmental Protection Agency deems safe for people who eat fish twice a week.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the study "sends a clear message that our country must continue to confront pollution, restore our nation's waterways and protect the public from potential health dangers."

The stakes are high. Eating too much mercury-tainted fish can damage kidneys and the nervous system. Mercury is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, infants and children. Numerous studies have shown that it disrupts brain development, lowers IQ and impairs cognitive thinking and fine motor skills, among other things.

Scientists, public officials and utility companies have known about these risks for years. But the latter two groups have done far too little to address the problem.

Mercury emanates from many sources, here and abroad, but the primary polluters are coal-fired power plants, concrete plants, trash burners and medical incinerators. According to the USGS research, most of the mercury found in the tested streams came from coal plants.

Utility company officials try, predictably, to foist most of the blame for mercury problems on other polluters, particularly those overseas. And they point out that they've made progress in using scrubbers that reduce mercury emissions.

But the fact remains that coal-fired plants - including those west of Hampton Roads - are the chief culprits in depositing mercury into oceans, rivers and streams.

Even now, regulation is flimsy. A judge in Richmond recently ruled that the state Air Pollution Control Board must set firm limits on mercury emissions from a coal plant under construction in Wise County. The original state permit was so lax that Dominion Virginia Power had the ability to loosen requirements if it had trouble meeting them.

Yes, Virginians and all Americans need electricity. But paying for it with our health and our children's and grandchildren's IQ isn't a reasonable risk.

Our elected leaders and utility executives need to accelerate the transition from coal-fired power plants, which remain the dirtiest way to produce electricity despite technological advances in recent years.

In the meantime, consumers - particularly people who enjoy recreational fishing - need to familiarize themselves with state health department recommendations on what types of fish to avoid and how much should be eaten in a week. (For details, visit www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish or www.vdh.virginia.gov.)

Fish and shellfish remain an important component of a healthy diet. But, sadly, there's a growing need to listen to what the fish are telling us.