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