VOL. XVI, NO. 15
5/26/98 - See
You in August
STILL FREE
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Home Page VOL. XVI, NO. 15 5/26/98 - See You in August STILL FREE |
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| Mercury cycling pathways in aquatic environments are very complex. The various forms of mercury can be converted from one to the next; most important is the conversion to methylmercury, the most toxic form. Ultimately, mercury ends up in the sediments, fish and wildlife, or evades back to the atmosphere by volatilization. Source: U.S. Geological Survey publication FS-216-95. |
by Edmund Tsang
Pollutants introduced into nature's intricate web via anthropogenic activities find ways to take revenge on Homo Sapiens. Mercury is such a pollutant; it is finding its way into a number of bodies of water in the Gulf Coast region of southeastern U.S. from Alabama to Louisiana and is causing "No Consumption" advisories to be issued for a number of fish species caught in these waters.
In southern Alabama, mercury is the cause for "No Consumption" advisories for all species in Cold Creek Swamp between river mile 28 just below Bayou Matche and river mile 26 in Mobile County; for largemouth bass and channel catfish caught at river mile 60.5 of Tombigbee River in Washington County; for largemouth bass along the entire Fish River in Baldwin County; and for king mackerel over 39 inches long in the Mobile and Baldwin portions of the Gulf Coast. [_Full_Story_]
by Ray Vaughan
Last week, representatives of Wild Alabama (Lamar Marshall), the Biodiversity Legal Foundation (Ned Mudd and Joyce Hudson), and I (in the capacity as Executive Director of WildLaw) surprised Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt and Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck in a ceremony at the Bankhead National Forest. Secretary Babbitt and Chief Dombeck had come to the Bankhead for a "photo-op" meeting set up by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The purpose of the meeting was to showcase how compromise and "partnership" lead to a better degraded environment for everyone. Carefully selected members of groups that NEVER sue these federal agencies and that NEVER criticize those who destroy the environment were invited to meet with Babbitt and Dombeck and praise them liberally. For obvious reasons, WildLaw and its clients were not invited and were not informed of the meeting and public charade. [_Full_Story_]
The Harbinger will be taking a hiatus after this issue so its editors can concentrate on their research and scholarly activities. The Harbinger will return on August 24. Look for Mobile's alternative press on the newsstands in 12 weeks.
In the story "Mobile Man Sues USA & City Police For Violating His Civil Rights," which appeared in the last issue of The Harbinger, Sgt. Gerald Malone was incorrectly identified as Gilmore in the section subtitled "Suspicion of Weapon to 'Real' Gun."
