SPOTLIGHT ON SULFATE 

Event on April 3 to focus on wild rice, health and ecosystems

Why should all Minnesotans care about sulfate? 

Find out during a free panel presentation that will shine a spotlight on how this chemical compound impacts wild rice, human health and the ecosystems of northern Minnesota.

The event, hosted by WaterLegacy, a Minnesota-based nonprofit, will take place at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth Campus, on Monday, April 3, from 5-7 p.m.

The panel includes experts Nancy Schuldt, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Water Projects Coordinator; Ricky DeFoe, Fond du Lac Band Elder and Pipe-Carrier; Jen Pearson, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Biobehavioral Health, UMD; and Cara Santelli, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, UMN-Twin Cities. 

Paula Maccabee, WaterLegacy Advocacy Director and Counsel, will moderate and explain the policy and law related to sulfate, wild rice and health.

Sulfate pollution decimates manoomin, or wild rice, a sacred plant and culturally important food for the Ojibwe. Sulfate also releases mercury from sediments and increases toxic methylmercury in the food chain and fish. Mercury exposure can harm the developing brain and nervous system of fetuses, infants and young children. In 2011, the Minnesota Department of Health found 1 in 10 infants in the Lake Superior region were born with unsafe levels of mercury in their blood.

Sophia Patane, Community Engagement Coordinator for WaterLegacy, said, “Sulfate pollution has a far-reaching impact across northern Minnesota. Understanding the impact of sulfate is an important step towards action to protect the health of our waterways, ecosystems and communities.”

This event is free and open to all, but registration is requested. Visit this link for more information:  https://bit.ly/3FAVl20 

WaterLegacy is an award-winning 501(c)(3) non-profit grassroots organization founded in 2009 to protect Minnesota waters and the communities that rely on them, particularly from sulfide mining pollution. Most of WaterLegacy’s board members live and work in northern Minnesota. For more information, visit: https://waterlegacy.org