Report of Ad Hoc Committee on Mercury Studies

Background June 2015 Roundtable discussion on mercury (Hg) issues From Roundtable discussion Ad Hoc Committee appointed to: 1) Evaluate what is known about the sources of Hg that impact fish in the Ohio River 2) Make recommendations to Commission on need for additional information and means of collection 3) Process steps for evaluation…

Background Process Steps for Evaluation (cont’d.) o Gather and evaluate what we know about Hg that impacts fish in the Ohio River o Identify what we don’t know about sources of Hg that impact fish o Identify potential value of addressing what we do not know and alternate methods for dealing with missing information

Background Define Information Gap Identify potential value of addressing what we don’t know Determine alternate methods dealing with missing information Hg knowns  Hg unknowns ?

Ad Hoc Committee Members:  Commissioners Bruny, Elmaraghy, FitzGerald, Frevert, Potesta, Kupke  Erich Emery, Corps  Tim Henry, USEPA  Eric Nygaard, OEPA  Rob Reash, Power Industry Advisory Committee  Shivi Selvaratnam, IDEM  USGS representative has been requested.

WANTS AND OBJECTIVE Wants o Not costly, endless study o Additional data collection only where necessary o Accurately answer some questions regarding the threat Hg presents to the Ohio River  Determine an “ action plan to diminish that threat” Committee Objective o Recommendation by Hg Committee at June 2016 Commission meeting

Progress and Approach DateAction Aug. 18, 2015Preliminary approach options discussed (following public hearing in Huntington, W.V.) Aug. 20 & 21LADCO Hg Conference in Indianapolis Sept. 21Committee Call Oct. 19Questions (What do you want to know?) due to Jason NovemberCommittee call re: questions prioritization Nov./Dec.Committee consensus on “knows and don’t knows”

Progress and Approach (cont’d) DateAction Dec. 31, 2015ORSANCO/Jason “Information collection” defining the gap Jan. 2016Committee call on addressing the gap Feb. 2016Commission meeting progress report Mar. 2016Committee review of approach options in prep for April Program & Finance Committee briefing April 2016Program & Finance Committee briefing June 2016Commissioner recommendation from Mercury Committee

Questions?