United Nations Begins Global Mercury Negotiations
EPRI’s Leonard Levin joined delegates from 70 nations in Stockholm on June 7–11 at the first in a series of United Nations-sponsored negotiations on a “binding agreement” to control mercury releases around the globe.  Four more negotiations are planned through 2013, each including discussion of mercury releases to the atmosphere.  The U.S. government is an active participant in the negotiations, calling—for example—for total cessation of mercury use in chemical processes and for separate emission standards for new versus existing combustion sources.  At present, competing position statements favor either elimination or reduction of mercury releases to the environment in all forms due to human activity.  EPRI helped prepare technical background for the negotiations by participating in the United Nations Mercury Fate & Transport workgroup and providing technical briefings to staff at the U.S. Department of State.  For more information, contact Leonard Levin, (650) 855-7929, llevin@epri.com.