800 lakes in New York suffer from varying degrees of pollution ranging from "nuisance" to "critical" ... Jeff Meyers is Chief of the Water Quality Assessment Section at the Department of Environmental Conservation. He says the more severely affected water bodies suffer from PCB or mercury contamination. In Washinton County, Cossayuna Lake is close to being removed from the DEC's watchlist after 10 years. Two lakes in the Adirondacks, Cranberry Lake and Gull Pond, in St. Lawrence County, have been taken off the state's list of impaired waters. A bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del., would slash sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions 50 and 80 percent, respectively, by 2015 and 2018. The Adirondack Council supports the measure.

The Carper bill also calls for new regulations to decrease mercury emissions by at least 90 percent by 2012 - the measure would also help clean up two other areas of New York impacted by acid rain - the Catskills and Hudson Highlands. DEC Spokesman Jeff Meyer says the agency is pressing on in its revision of the impaired waters list. The EPA will review that final list and public comments, then return a disposition to the DEC during the month of May.