Transcript Risk Reduction Activities Mercury Task Force Chemicals Management Forum San Antonio, Texas May 15-16, 2012 Commission for Environmental Cooperation.

Risk Reduction Activities
Mercury Task Force
Chemicals Management Forum
San Antonio, Texas
May 15-16, 2012
Commission for Environmental Cooperation
Overview
 North American Regional Action Plan
for Mercury
 Risk assessment and management
activities 2000-2010
 Future direction
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Mercury Task Force Background
 CEC Council called for North American Regional
Action Plan for Mercury
 Mercury Task Force created by SMOC to develop
and implement NARAP
 Goal reduce anthropogenic releases of mercury to
naturally-occurring levels.
 Finalized in 2000, envisioned as a 10-year plan.
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Risk assessment and management
activities included in Mercury NARAP
Actions were taken in four primary areas :
 Atmospheric emissions of mercury
 Mercury in processes, operations and products
 Mercury waste management approaches
Research, monitoring, modeling, assessment and
inventories
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Atmospheric emissions of mercury
Goal: reduce air emissions 50% by 2006 (1990
baseline)
 Canada, United States exceeded goal
 Mexico- established baseline emissions
inventory prepared with CEC support in 2001
(preliminary) and updated in 2008
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Mercury in processes, operations
and products
Reduce use of mercury in products and processes
 Significant reduction in the use of mercury in
switches, batteries and measuring devices.
 Mercury use phase-out in chlor-alkali plants,
other industries.
 CEC Americas workshop to reduce mercury use
in products CEC-supported work in Mexico to
reduce mercury use in hospitals
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Mercury supply and waste management
 CEC- supported efforts to identify options for
managing mercury products, especially from
hospitals
 New CEC waste management study in 2012
 Mercury supply issues (not included in NARAP but
identified as focus area):
–
CEC Mexican Mercury Market Report identifies
product and elemental imports, exports and uses.
–
CEC assessment of primary and secondary mercury
supplies in Mexico investigates production potential
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Improved monitoring and assessment
 CEC-supported wet deposition monitoring in
Mexico:
 Participation in North American Wet Deposition
Network
 Mexico: January 2012, Celestun became part of
the Global Mercury Observation System (GMOS).
 CEC Tri-national Maternal Blood Contaminant Study
 Proname index monitoring sites for PBTs include
mercury (CEC-supported)
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Future Direction
 SMOC Working Group reaffirmed need for ongoing
trilateral coordination to:
 Manage mercury use and supply, reduce releases
 Bring countries to a common level of capacity to reduce
risks
 Current CEC mercury activities:
 Development of 5-year mercury strategy
 Tri-national mercury waste management options
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For more information
Commission for Environmental Cooperation
http://www.cec.org/Page.asp?PageID=924&SiteNodeID=1
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US Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/mercury/
Environment Canada
http://www.ec.gc.ca/toxiquestoxics/Default.asp?lang=En&n=98E80CC61&xml=9767F4A9-2EF7-4A00-B3AF-D900394C6EC6
Instituto Nacional de Ecología
http://www.ine.gob.mx/
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¡¡GRACIAS!!
Three countries. One environment.
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