methyl mercury

And it's not a happy tale:

The state currently lists all water bodies in the state as contaminated by mercury. The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources is drafting a plan to quantify sources of mercury such as power plants and sewage treatment plants and propose steps to reduce mercury in North Carolina waterways. Having such a plan will make it easier to press other states that contribute to North Carolina’s pollution problem to cut mercury pollution, officials say.

If DENR is really serious about reducing mercury emissions, refusing Titan Cement's permits would be a no-brainer. That one plant alone will increase atmospheric mercury releases in the state by over 10%. A short list of fish not to eat:

The N&O has a great article about mercury levels in fish and Titan Cement's likely increase of such levels:

The proposal for Titan America to build a new cement manufacturing plant along the shores of the Northeast Cape Fear River near Wilmington brings with it the potential for increased air and water pollution to the southeast coast, as well as increased risks to human health from airborne toxins. What has had little exposure thus far is the strong likelihood of serious pollution impacts to fish and wildlife.

Yes, I'm going to (once again) talk about Mercury, and even though this diary is dedicated to mothers, the rest of you are not excused, so don't even think about skipping this one. For you moms, the pressure of following sound prenatal behaviors is intense, and the list of things you shouldn't do or eat seems to outpace the list of things you can. If Mercury isn't already on your list of shouldn'ts, it should be, and I'm going to try to explain a) where it comes from, b) how it makes its way into your system, and c) what it does when it gets there.