Environmental NGOs and Indigenous Nations Urge Immediate Action to Reduce Global Mercury Pollution at Upcoming UNEP Meeting

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Environmental NGOs and Indigenous Nations Urge Immediate Action to Reduce Global Mercury Pollution at Upcoming UNEP Meeting

(WASHINGTON, DC/NAIROBI, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Feb. 18 -/E-Wire/-- Environmental NGOs and indigenous nation representatives from around the globe are urging Governments to take action against global mercury pollution by taking immediate steps to reduce mercury contamination, through use and emission reduction, while developing an international binding agreement on mercury. The above mentioned groups will be participating at the UNEP Governing Council (GC) on 21-25 February 2005 in Nairobi, Kenya, where mercury is on the agenda. Some of them will also participate at the Global Civil Society Forum, 19-20 February, Nairobi, which forms the main entry point for Civil Society to participate at the GC level.

"We urge the UNEP Governing Council to follow the lead of the EU Mercury Strategy, adopted in January 2005," said Elena Lymberidi, "Zero Mercury Campaign" Project Co-ordinator, EEB.

"The European Commission's advocacy of a global phase-out of mercury primary production, and encouraging countries to stop surpluses re-entering the market, by presenting an initiative similar to the Montreal Protocol on ozone-depleting substances, should become the central discussion at the UNEP Governing Council meeting," said Michael Bender of the Ban Mercury Working Group.

The environmental NGOs and indigenous nation representatives propose and urge support from the countries participating at the UNEP Governing Council on the following measures:

-- Improve the tracking of global mercury trade to facilitate transparency and coordinated global action.

-- Adopt global goals of a 50% reduction in mercury consumption by 2010 and an 80% reduction by 2015, versus 2000 levels.

-- Prevent the introduction of surplus mercury into the global marketplace by immediately terminating subsidies to primary mercury mines, phasing-out primary mercury production by 2010; and storing excess mercury from decommissioned mercury chlor-alkali plants and potentially other sources.

-- End the manufacture and trade of mercury-containing soaps and cosmetics, and educate health professionals and populations at risk about the adverse human health effects attributable to use of these products.

-- Promote the phase-out of mercury use in batteries, paints, switches, relays, measuring devices, and potentially other products and processes where non-mercury alternatives exist or become available over the next ten years by targeting key countries or regions where production or consumption is substantial, encouraging inventory preparation in such countries or regions, and sharing information on alternative technologies, and relevant laws and standards.

-- Develop and implement a global strategy to promote the use of non-mercury and lower mercury use technologies in small-scale gold mining.

-- Control the largest global source of mercury emissions by employing best available technology on the larger coal-fired power plants by 2012 and all coal-fired power plants by 2017.

-- Encourage voluntary contributions sufficient to support the above mentioned actions, the creation of a mercury unit within UNEP, and ensure the active participation of developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

Mercury and its compounds are highly toxic to humans, ecosystems and wildlife. High doses can be fatal to humans, but even relatively low doses have serious adverse effects on the central nervous, cardiovascular, immune and reproductive systems. Mercury has no respect for national or regional boundaries as it travels great distances through the atmosphere. It has contaminated global food supplies at levels which pose a significant risk to human health, according to medical and public health professionals around the world.

Michael Bender, Ban Mercury Working Group, www.mercurypolicy.org, [REDACTED-EMAIL], tel: +1 [REDACTED-PHONE] or + 1 [REDACTED-PHONE] Linda Greer, NRDC, www.nrdc.org, [REDACTED-EMAIL], tel: +1 202 2896868 Elena Lymberidi, EEB, www.eeb.org, [REDACTED-EMAIL], tel: +32 2 2891301; +32 496 532818 Kevin Brigden, Greenpeace, http://eu.greenpeace.org, [REDACTED-EMAIL], tel :+44 7968 844906 For information: Combined U.S., E.U., Norway and Switzerland, and Argentina UNEP GC proposals: http://www.mercurypolicy.org/new/documents/050214EUamendmentsproposedtoUNEP.pdf EU Mercury Strategy: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/chemicals/mercury/index.htm

Mercury Policy Project

Michael Bender, Ban Mercury Working Group, www.mercurypolicy.org, [REDACTED-EMAIL], tel: +1 [REDACTED-PHONE] or + 1 [REDACTED-PHONE]

Linda Greer, NRDC, www.nrdc.org, [REDACTED-EMAIL], tel: +1 202 2896868

Elena Lymberidi, EEB, www.eeb.org, [REDACTED-EMAIL], tel: +32 2 2891301; +32 496 532818

Kevin Brigden, Greenpeace, http://eu.greenpeace.org, [REDACTED-EMAIL],

tel :+44 7968 844906

http://www.mercurypolicy.org

http://www.nrdc.org, [REDACTED-EMAIL]

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