Diplomats to gather, address mercury pollution

The reason why the treaty is so controversial is because it only calls for reductions on a per-facility basis, rather than demanding an overall reduction to emissions in air and water. It will, however, curb emissions from gold mining, which is currently largely unregulated and a significant contributor to mercury pollution.................
Scientists and environmentalists conclude that something substantial must be done to combat mercury toxicitynow, because the effects of the pollutant are long lasting and severe. David Streets, an environmental scientist at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, noted, "Once emitted into the air, it's like a genie that has escaped the bottle. It takes decades or even centuries to get it fixed."
http://peoplesworld.org/diplomats-to-gather-address-mercury-pollution/