Wildlife advocates praise a major breakthrough in cleaning up mercury pollution in the state.
ERCO Worldwide, owners of a chlorine production plant in Port Edwards, says it will invest ninety-five million dollars in new technology that will cut mercury emissions to zero.
George Meyer, former DNR Secretary and current Executive Director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, says it's great news. He says that means twenty-five percent of the mercury pollution in the state will be eliminated within five to seven years.
The Wood County plant has long been considered the number one mercury polluter in the state and Meyer says this will go a long way to protect fish and the people who eat them from mercury contamination.
Meyer says it will still take a long time for mercury levels in fish to drop but this is a start. He calls the efforts by ERCO Worldwide, “truly outstanding”.