Our Goal: Mercury-Free Families
The problem:
Currently the Ogeechee and Canoochee Rivers, in fact most south Georgia streams, have high enough levels of mercury in the fish to cause birth defects and other problems for developing babies and young children.
Cleaning up the sources of mercury pollution will happen in the long-term, but there are some things you can do in the short term to protect your family.
Here are some simple solutions:
- Reduce Your Risk
- Limit Your Exposure to Contaminated Fish and Seafood: Learn how to make safer choices for you and your family.
- Choose smaller fish and eat smaller portions. Mercury builds up in larger, older fish. In general, eating smaller fish will help you reduce your mercury levels.
- Vary the type of fish you eat. Choosing different types of fish from different locations will help you reduce your risk.
2. Stay Informed
- Visit our page to learn more about the effects of mercury on your family's health.
- View the sources of mercury (hint: the big one is coal fired power plants) and how mercury gets into the rivers.
- See the levels of mercury in fish near you.
- View the full 2009 volunteer fish collection report.
3. Take Action
- Reduce mercury coming into the river and save money by saving electricity!
- Take the energy conservation pledge today.
- VOLUNTEER to help out.
