A key US House Committee yesterday approved legislation, HR 1534 — the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2007 — banning the export of mercury by 2010 and established a long term storage option at a facility designated by the US Secretary of Energy. HR.1534 is supported by the environmental community, the Environmental Council of States, the American Chemistry Council, the Chlorine Industry and the mining industry and passed the US House Energy and Commerce Committee on a vote of 42 to 2. HR. 1534 is needed to curtail trade in this toxic commodity particularly to developing countries where over 1000 tons of mercury is used and released by small scale gold miners, threatening themselves, their families and communities and the local and global environment to widespread, persistent and bioacccumulative toxin. The legislation moves to the US House of Representatives for consideration.
Author Archives: mpp
Stakeholder Process on Managing Non-Federal Mercury Stocks
After a long series of delays, US EPA finally announced that it is establishing, in consort with other federal partners, a stakeholder panel process to provide the U.S. government with a range of options for better managing non-federal mercury supplies. As part of this process, the panel will hold a series of public meetings over a six-month period beginning with the first meeting in Washington, D.C., on May 8. The charge to the panel is to consider: 1 ) how the various stocks of mercury should be managed both in the short-term and the long-term, and 2 ) how current and future supply and demand affect this determination for each of the various stocks. As a starting point, EPA has distributed a background paper. The public can also provide written comments on the issues the stakeholder panel. When sending in comments, mention that the Docket Identification Number is EPA-HQ-OPPT-2007-0148. More information about the stakeholder panel and the EPA “Roadmap for Mercury ” is available on the EPA web site.
Scientists Warn Public About Heath Risks of Mercury Contaminated Fish
Scientists from around the world are warning people about the health risks posed by eating mercury contaminated fish. Children and women of childbearing age are being told to be extra careful, since the risks are greatest to sensitive populations. The alarming findings are revealed in “The Madison Declaration on Mercury Pollution” published today in a special issue of the international science journal Ambio. Developed at the Eighth International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant last August in Madison, Wisconsin, the declaration is a synopsis of the latest scientific knowledge about the danger posed by mercury pollution.
Canada Prohibits Sales of High-Mercury Tuna
Following reports that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will not allow sales of high mercury canned tuna into the Canadian market, MPP is calling on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to do the same. “FDA’s own testing indicates that some albacore canned tuna has very high mercury levels comparable to those found in Canada,” said MPP Director Michael Bender. “However, the agency has done nothing to prevent high mercury tuna from ending up in our children’s sandwiches or our dinner plates.” A recent national news report in Canada indicated that 8 out of 60 cans of albacore tuna exceeded the Government of Canada’s guidelines of 0.5 parts per million for mercury. In a follow up review, CFIA determined that 5 of the 60 cans tested (8%) exceeded the standard of 0.5ppm. In response, the CFIA has contacted tuna importers to ensure that incoming shipments of canned albacore tuna are tested. CFIA is also reminding governments of the top exporting countries, including the U.S., and domestic Canadian importers of the importance of meeting Canadian requirements. “According to recent testing, some light canned tuna also has high mercury levels that surpass 0.5 ppm mercury,” said Bender. “Unfortunately, FDA has not followed up on this either.”
Two Mercury Bills Approved By VT House Committee
Advocates applauded the work of a Vermont House Committee which passed out two important bills on mercury that will significantly reduce pollution. The first requires dentists to have patients sign a consent form before receiving any procedure involving mercury amalgam, which informs them of the potential hazards to human health. The second requires a $5 cash incentive be provided by the manufacturer to contractors that turn in mercury-containing thermostats for recycling. “Informed consent will empower Vermonters to just say no to mercury amalgam, and in the process this will help reduce mercury pollution,” said MPP director Bender in a statement. “It also provides patients with the same information that many dentists have already received from manufacturers, which states that ‘The use of amalgam in contraindicated…In children 6 and under….(and)…. in expectant mothers‘”. The news was picked up in a Vermont newspaper.
2007 UNEP Governing Council Decision
Anti-mercury advocates conditionally welcomed the decision of the 24th United Nations Environment Programme Governing Council meeting on 5-9 February as a small step forward, but overall viewed it as a missed opportunity. Noting that the U.S. blocked consensus, MPP Director Michael Bender said, “Most governments now recognize the need for global mercury regulations. Therefore, if the U.S. can’t lead, they should follow, or at least get out of the way.” (see press release)
“Once again, a few countries led by US and India delayed real progress, whereas the EU, the African Region, Japan, Brazil, the Philippines, Norway and Switzerland were ready to make a political decision on a legally binding instrument as the way forward,” said Elena Lymberidi from the European Environmental Bureau. “Instead, we have a process to consider options during the next Governing Council in 2009. We must finally move beyond promising words into real action.”
There were some small positive developments that were adopted:
- Priorities were identified to reduce risks from emissions, demand, and supply of mercury, as well as from contaminated sites.
- There was a call to fill data gaps on supply and demand
- An air emissions report will be developed
- An ad hoc open ended working group will be formed to further discuss priorities and options and report back to the 25th Governing Council.
“These are baby steps, while giant steps are needed!” said Zuleica Nycz , ACPO, Brazil, “Not having a legally binding instrument means that developing countries will not have the necessary incentive to develop national programmes or policies to protect their people from toxic mercury.”
For a report from the Nairobi meeting, see: GC-24/GMEF HIGHLIGHTS (Earth Negotiations Bulletin).
UNEP now has an outline for moving forward on this over the next 2 years.
Zero Mercury Working Group Calls For Binding International Treaty
The Zero Mercury Working Group is calling on the world’s governments to adopt a binding international treaty at the UNEP Governing Council meeting in Nairobi, 5-9 February for many of the same reasons recently presented by the Nordic Ministers. Following up on that, a proposed draft decision on a global framework for international action on mercury, lead and cadmium was recently submitted by Gambia, Iceland, Norway, Senegal and Switzerland to the twenty-fourth session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum. Unfortunately, the U.S. Government does not appear particularly receptive to such an approach even though an association of state governments has been calling for a stronger stance. While the European Commission has proposed a ban on the export of mercury to address the Global Toxic Trade in mercury that threatens artisanal & small scale miners globally, some maintain that restricting exports will result in more primary mercury mining, but research conducted for the European Commission indicates that this is highly unlikely.
Dental Report Highlights Reasons For Mercury Phase Out
Advocates released a report supporting recommendations by the Vermont Air Pollution Control Division and the Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution to phase out the use of mercury dental amalgam. The report outlines the many reasons to phase out mercury in dentistry–ranging from indirect toxic releases into wastewater, landfills and farmers’ fields to more direct releases from dental clinics, human wastes and cremation.
Two years ago, the Vermont Legislature mandated requirements for dental clinics to install pollution control equipment. But advocates maintain that the legislature has not gone far enough, and a growing number of Vermont agencies, officials and committees.
In its “2007 Annual Report to the Governor, General Assembly and Citizens of the State of Vermont,” the Advisory Committee on Mercury Pollution stated its support for “an eventual phase-out of mercury-containing dental amalgam…and recommends that the Legislature consider this [in order] to virtually eliminate the release of anthropogenic mercury in Vermont.” In addition, the Committee recommends that the Legislature consider legislation to ban the use of dental amalgams in the two highest risk populations, pregnant women and children under 18. “Mercury tooth fillings are one of the largest pollution sources in Vermont today,” said Michael Bender, Director of Mercury Policy Project in a statement. “While mercury releases from human wastes and cremation may be an uncomfortable topic, most people understand that if they have mercury in their teeth, it will eventually be released into the environment.” Legislation is currently being considered in VT to phase out dental mercury use.
Department of Energy to Continue to Store Mercury Stocks
In a response to a letter from Senator Barack Obama, Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman cites recognition of both health and environmental concerns for reasons why the DOE “has no current plans to sell” their stockpile of over 1,200 metric tons of mercury. According to a draft background document, “DOE will continue to store its mercury stocks while investigating alternative long-term storage options.” The December 18, 2006 background draft also states that “.. the U.S. Government’s actions not to sell mercury on the open market sends a positive message to both private and state domestic mercury holders, as well as to global mercury policy makers…By committing to long-term storage of U.S. owned mercury, the U.S. Government can develop a position for the UNEP Governing Council meeting that: 1) Indicates that the U.S. has committed to storing 70% of its stocks, and 2) the U.S. Government has in place a stakeholder process that will develop options for management of its remaining nonfederal stocks of mercury.”
Groups Urge Department of Energy Not to Sell Mercury Stocks
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is considering selling some 1,300 tons of surplus mercury on the international market, prompting urgent warnings from health organizations such as NRDC and MPP that the toxic metal would easily find its way back into the domestic food chain from the developing world. The DOE stockpile is more than eight times the amount exported in 2004 by all U.S. companies combined. Once used in weapons and other energy-related technologies, the mercury is now obsolete for DOE functions and no longer of any use to the government. Exported mercury also poses a substantial direct health risk to workers around the world, said Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project. “As many as 15 million gold miners in more than 40 countries, for example, are at risk from high-concentration mercury vapors and mercury intoxication, which can lead to severe nervous system poisoning,” he said. “The U.S. government has a moral obligation to restrict its exports to developing countries, as the European Union recently proposed to do by 2011.”