12 June 2007
Trouble in store. EU must safely manage excess mercury
(Durban, 12 June, 2007) – June is a key month in the
campaign to protect the world from the scourge of highly toxic
mercury. Anti-mercury campaigners throughout Europe urged
EU decision-makers to ensure excess mercury is held in secure,
constantly monitored sites. On 13 June, the EU countries’
Permanent Representatives will discuss the proposal in preparation
for a possible agreement at the Environment Council on 28
June, and the European Commission will present its opinion
on amendments proposed by the European Parliament’s
Environment Committee, before Parliament votes on the issue
on 19 or 20 June.
“The Environment Ministers’ Council, the Commission
and Parliament must get in step with Parliament’s Environment
Committee”, said Elena Lymberidi of EEB’s Zero
Mercury campaign. “All three institutions must agree
soon on requiring the safe and constantly-monitored temporary
storage of surplus mercury stocks. There is no ‘bury
and forget’ option: the only safe solution for the moment
is to keep a constant eye on this pernicious substance, since
as yet there are no safe final disposal methods available.”
Campaigners fear that unless the necessary steps are taken,
individual EU governments might try to dispose of liquid mercury
in unsafe places like old mines, where there is a strong risk
of its leaching out over time into water supplies and the
air. A European Directive which prohibits final disposal of
liquid waste in landfills has been in place since 1999.
Campaigners also want to see a ban on exporting mercury compounds
and mercury-containing items whose sale is banned in the EU.
“It’s not just a question of controlling pure
mercury”, said Lisette van Vliet of Health Care Without
Harm. ”If the export ban doesn’t include mercury
compounds or mercury-containing products which are already
banned from sale in Europe, we’ll be overlooking a major
source of Europe’s contribution to global mercury contamination”.
Compounds represent a high proportion of the world’s
mercury use, and mercury can be profitably recovered from
compounds including calomel, mercuric oxide, mercuric chloride
and other organo-mercury compounds.
NGOs in developing countries are very concerned. “Historically,
when a hazardous product is restricted, phased-out or banned
in Europe, it’s often exported to developing countries
where awareness of the problem is often relatively low, and
regulations and/or enforcement are often lax or non-existent”,
said Veronica Odriozola, Director of Health Care Without Harm
Latin America.
For further information please contact:-
- Rico Euripidou, Research Manager, groundWork, rico@groundwork.org.za
Tel: +27 (0)33 342 5662
- Elena Lymberidi, Project Coordinator, Zero Mercury Campaign:,
www.zeromercury.org,
www.eeb.org; elena.lymberidi@eeb.org;
Tel: +32 (0)2 289 1301; Mobile: +32 (0)496 532 818
- Lisette van Vliet, Toxic Policy Advisor, Health and Environment
Alliance / Health Care Without Harm Europe: www.env-health.org;
www.noharm.org;
lisette@env-health.org; Tel: +32 (0)2 234 3645
- Peter Clarke, Press & Publications Officer, EEB:
press@eeb.org; Tel: +32
(0)2 289 1309
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