Mercury treaty still sketchy

“Minamata-like tragedies are already taking place in areas surrounding ASGM sites, though most are hidden from public view. However, provisions to address mercury pollution through ASGM are very weak (in the convention treaty). For example, the current text allows import of unlimited quantities of mercury for use in ASGM with no phase-out date,” says Olga Speranskaya, co-chairperson at IPEN.
Close to 2,000 people died in Minamata city due to the release of methyl-mercury in the industrial wastewater by a chemical factory between 1932 and 1968. The toxic chemical bioaccumulated in shellfish and fish in Minamata Bay and the Shiranui Sea, which, when eaten by the people, resulted in mercury poisoning.
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/mercury-treaty-still-sketchy