Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 9 • Number 3 • 20th February 2009

US Calls for Binding Treaty on Mercury

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After nearly seven years of discussion, the US has joined the call for a legally binding treaty to phase out mercury use. At the 16 February UN Environment Program (UNEP) meeting of environmental ministers in Nairobi, Kenya, the council met to start setting the framework for a strategy to begin dealing with mercury, a toxic heavy metal still found in some commercially traded goods.

The strategy aims to reduce international demand for industrial products that incorporate mercury and processes - such as mercury mining operations - while also seeking to cut atmospheric emissions and clean up programs for contaminated sites.

Daniel Reifsnyder, the US deputy assistant secretary of state for environment and sustainable development, unveiled the agreement urging the launch of an intergovernmental negotiating committee to develop an international agreement on mercury.

“Neither the United States, nor any other country, can achieve sufficient reductions of mercury risks to protect the health of its citizens without serious cooperation internationally to reduce global mercury emissions,” says Reifsnyder.

The US joins the call with the EU in pressing for an international, legally binding treaty. Some other states are instead pushing for a more voluntary system. The EU has legislated a mercury ban which is expected to come into place in 2011. The US has a similar ban scheduled for 2013.

Experts say that about 6,000 tonnes of mercury are released each year into the environment and can travel thousands of miles from the point of origin. Studies show that this dangerous metal, which is especially lethal to foetuses and children, can cause impaired thyroid and liver function, irritability, tremors, disturbances to vision and memory loss and perhaps cardiovascular problems. UNEP says that one third of total mercury emissions are caused by coal burned in power stations and homes.

Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP says that every kilogram of mercury taken out of the environment can trigger nearly US$12,500 worth of social, environmental and human health benefits. He stressed that a major shift needs to take place to deal with the toxic metal.

“A clear and unequivocal vision of a low mercury future needs to be set,” Steiner said at the meeting. “This will trigger innovation and an ever greater array of cost effective alternatives.”

In cooperation with UNEP, governments have highlighted products and processes that were once dependent on mercury and are now comprised of cost effective and safer alternatives. Substitutes for almost all industrial processes that require mercury have been developed, but because many nations still rely on coal for power regulation can be difficult.

Moreover, as industrialised countries cut back on their use of mercury, a surplus of inexpensive mercury is flooding global marketplace. This can make curbing mercury use in the developing world difficult. According to the European Commission nearly 3,700 tonnes of mercury continues to be purchased around the world each year for industrial purposes.

Thus, regulators are calling for a regulatory approach that takes various countries’ needs into consideration. “We should seek to ensure broad participation among governments in a mercury agreement by including flexibility such as transition periods and phased implementation,” Reifsnyder said in a statement to delegates in Nairobi. “We need to be creative and flexible in our approaches, while at the same time ensuring that we make significant progress.”

“U.S. backs call for global treaty on mercury use,” REUTERS, 17 February 2009; “UN urges leaders to stop mercury threat,” Redorbit, 16 February 2009; “Golden opportunity to deal with poisonous quicksilver pollution,” Media-wire, 16 February 2009; “Toxic Trade: The Global Metallic Mercury Market,” Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), 22 July 2008.