The Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense
The Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301

Dear Secretary Rumsfeld:

We are writing to comment on your department's upcoming environmental impact statement (EIS) regarding the disposition of excess mercury in the National Defense Stockpile. We are very concerned about the ultimate fate of this mercury and its potential impact on the environment and public health, and we urge you to strongly emphasize in your EIS those options that would safely and securely store this mercury, preventing its release into the environment.

As stated in your Notice of Intent on February 5th, mercury is designated as a hazardous substance. Its organic form - methylmercury - is a powerful neurotoxin that bioaccumulates in the food chain. People are exposed to this toxin primarily by eating contaminated fish. Methylmercury can permanently damage the human central nervous system, and it is especially dangerous to pregnant women and children. Likewise, numerous wildlife species are also at risk from methylmercury.

Your Notice rightly acknowledges the many environmental issues involved in the disposition of this excess mercury. We are confident you will fully consider these issues in your EIS, in order to minimize the possibility that this mercury will endanger the environment and human health. The EIS must consider all viable options for the disposition of this mercury; however, options such as long-term storage or stabilization would clearly pose far less risk than commercial sale.

We urge you to give strong emphasis in your EIS to management options that would provide safe, long-term retrievable storage for the excess mercury in the National Defense Stockpile. We hope this vast quantity of mercury will not return to the marketplace, where industrial and commercial use would inevitably release much of it to the environment, threatening humans and wildlife alike.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

PATRICK LEAHY
United States Senator

Cosigned by Senator Snowe