But the cost to fix the mercury problem has been a major issue. In developing nations, mercury is used by poor miners to extract gold, sold to wealthier nations. And developing nations in Asia also rely more heavily on coal-fired power plants to electrify their economies.
The treaty will be finalized in Minamata, Japan, in recognition of the deaths and human suffering caused by mercury poisoning in that city. Generations of people from the city suffered severe mercury poisoning, including birth defects and early deaths, from the release of methylmercury in the wastewater from the Chisso Corp. chemical factory from 1932 to 1968. The mercury accumulated in shellfish and fish, which were a large part of local residents’ diets.
David Lennett of the Natural Resources Defense Council said the treaty doesn’t go far enough to make all fish everywhere safe to eat. But he added the treaty is still a good step forward.
The treaty “is strong in some areas but weak in others,” Lennett said in his blog. “The provisions on product phase-outs are relatively strong, while the air emission control requirements for existing facilities are delayed far too long. Still, the fact that there is a global mercury treaty at all is a significant accomplishment given the gridlock on other issues.”
No mercury exports
A new U.S. law banning the export of mercury took effect this month. Under federal law it is now illegal to export elemental mercury from the U.S., which should reduce the amount of mercury on the global market. Previously, much of it went to gold mining in developing nations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said. The new law also calls for the long-term mercury management and addresses the storage of elemental mercury.
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