November 5, 2000

LATE BREAKING NEWS

Gas Pipes Spray Mercury Inside Homes

CHICAGO - Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan and county prosecutors have
filed a five-count lawsuit against Illinois-based Nicor, Inc. and two
contractors in an attempt to quickly clean up mercury contamination found
in homes and buildings in 10 northern counties.

The lawsuit alleges that Nicor, Pennsylvannia-based Henkles &
McCoy, Inc., and Minnesota-based Northern Pipeline Construction Co.
endangered public health and welfare, caused air pollution and open
dumping, improperly disposed of waste and created a public nuisance.

Prosecutors are asking for an immediate injunction order
setting forth a rapid and supervised assessment and clean-up program.

On July 20 a homeowner in the Chicago suburb of Mount Prospect
reported a silvery substance in the basement. Since the Mercury discovery
on July 24, Nicor has reported that more than 280,000 homes in northern
Illinois will be tested for mercury contamination, and that clean-up
efforts have commenced as testing continues.

Mercury, inhaled over long periods of time, can cause nerve damage,
respiratory failure and kidney damage. For more information, go to:
http://www.nicorinc.com/gas/mediainformation.html

The question is, how many other communities are being contaminated
with Mercury and other hazardous materials coming from their gas pipes?
Check to see if you have a Mercury regulator installed on your home as
shown below in the No. 1 GIF, and contact your gas utility immeadiately to
have it removed and tested for Mercury:

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