On February 7, women from Portsmouth’s Cradock Community gathered on a cold, but bright afternoon at Hair Care by Luanne to take action on mercury pollution. While some regular clients got their hair cut, the Sierra Club and the Virginia Organizing Project obtained hair samples from 30 women to test for mercury exposure. Such hair samples give a snapshot of recent exposure to mercury.

Coal-fired power plants and trash incinerators emit mercury into the air. It enters our rivers and streams and then makes its way to our bodies via contaminated fish. The Cradock Community is surrounded by several major mercury polluters. Southeastern Public Service Authority (SPSA) has a trash incinerator less than a mile from the salon, and Dominion Resources has a large coal burning power plant in nearby Chesapeake.

As she gave a hair sample, Wendy Slavens, a long-time Cradock resident, told the Virginian-Pilot she was concerned about a creosote plant and other nearby polluters. “I’m curious,” she said. “I’ve raised three children in this neighborhood and don’t have any grandchildren yet, but I’d just like to see.

Mercury is a dangerous developmental neurotoxin — meaning that infants and fetuses are especially at risk from it. In previous tests, one in four women tested in Virginia had enough mercury to put a child at risk for neurological development problems, like cerebral palsy, delayed onset of walking and talking, and mental retardation.

Besides mercury, trash incinerators are known for the invisible toxic pollution coming from their stacks, notably dioxin, as well as for more immediately unpleasant effects. The community residents being tested said that the incinerator’s odor is worse in warmer months. They also reported soot covering their homes, and felt that the incinerator contributed to asthma.

“Modern technology can cut mercury pollution by 90 percent, but many coal fired power plants and other mercury polluters don’t have it,” said Joshua Low, Sierra Club/Chapter Conservation Organizer. “We also do not need to be relying on incinerators to deal with municipal trash. We can stop the train, truck, or barge of toxic pollution before it gets to the Cradock neighborhood.”

The hair samples were analyzed by a North Carolina laboratory. Two people tested above the level of one microgram of mercury per gram of hair, which is the EPA “acceptable limit.” Everyone tested had some mercury in their hair samples.

The Sierra Club and VOP will be conducting similar events elsewhere in the Hampton Roads area. “In the meantime, we urge you to contact your local decision makers,” Low said. “Ask for common sense solutions like energy efficiency and renewable energy to curb coal burning power plants. Ask for policies that reduce, reuse, recycle to curb trash incineration.”

For more information, contact Joshua Low, Sierra Club/Chapter Conservation Organizer at (804) 225-9113 or joshua.low@sierraclub.org.