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New England Governors/ Eastern Canadian Premiers Mercury Action Plan

New England Governors/ Eastern Canadian Premiers Mercury Action Plan. MERCURY MANAGEMENT & RETIREMENT RECOMMENDATIONS. C. Mark Smith PhD MS Deputy Director, Office of Research and Standards, MADEP Co-Chair, NEG-ECP Mercury Task Force C.Mark.Smith@State.ma.us. Mercury Initiatives.

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New England Governors/ Eastern Canadian Premiers Mercury Action Plan

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  1. New England Governors/ Eastern Canadian Premiers Mercury Action Plan MERCURY MANAGEMENT & RETIREMENT RECOMMENDATIONS C. Mark Smith PhD MS Deputy Director, Office of Research and Standards, MADEP Co-Chair, NEG-ECP Mercury Task Force C.Mark.Smith@State.ma.us

  2. Mercury Initiatives United Nations Global Mercury Assessment Global Commission for Environmental Cooperation North American Regional Mercury Action Plan Continental National EPA Mercury Action Plan New England Governors /Eastern Canadian Premiers Regional Mercury Action Plan Regional Massachusetts EOEA Zero Mercury Strategy State Cities and Towns Mercury bans; collection events Local

  3. NEG/ECP Regional Mercury Action Plan • Adopted in June 1998 by all New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers • Goals • By 2003: 50% or greater reduction in NE emissions • By 2010: 75% reduction • Long-term: virtual elimination

  4. MA Zero Mercury Strategy • Strategy developed by EOEA • Multiagency: DEP/DPH/MWRA/CZM • Consistent with regional efforts • Additional goal: eliminate unnecessary use

  5. Integrated, Comprehensive Approaches • Multimedia: air, water, land • Integrates pollution control and pollution prevention • Regional, multi-agency cooperation • Model for other national/international efforts

  6. POLICY DRIVERS 1. Policy Driver #1: Toxicity • Children Most At Risk • Neurological Endpoints

  7. Policy Driver # 2:Regional Problem: Fish Consumption Advisories In All Jurisdictions

  8. Massachusetts Situation 1. Statewide fish consumption advisory….native freshwater fish; several saltwater species 2. Fish from over 100 waterbodies have mercury levels high enough to pose a risk to the general population 3. Waterbodies across the state are impacted -over 40% of those tested

  9. Policy Driver # 3: Persistent in the Environment

  10. Policy Driver #4: “Cute and Cuddly” Wildlife At Risk

  11. Policy Driver # 5: Controllable Local and Distant Sources In region sources: 60% Out-of-region: 40%

  12. Elements of the Action Plan • Six Action Categories/45 Specific Elements • Regional Task Force • Emission Reductions • Source Reduction/ Waste Management • Outreach and Education • Monitoring and Research • Mercury Stockpile Management

  13. Action Category 1: Regional Mercury Task Force Established in Sept. 1998 to: • Prioritize / coordinate implementation • Track and report on progress • Biannual updates to Commissioners; annual updates to Governors and Premiers • Forum to share information • Leverage resources • Establish linkages • National/international advocacy

  14. The Team • CoChairs: Ron Gagnon (RI); Stephanie D’Agostino (NH); C. Mark Smith (MA); Nabil Elhadi (NB). Project Director: John Shea (NEGC). Representatives: Jim Brooks (ME); Raynald Brulotte (PQ); Carmine DiBattista, Lois Hager, John Cimochoski and Tessa Gutowski (CT); Peter Haring (NF); Duncan MacKay (NS); David Lennett, Ellen Parr-Doering and Kevin McDonald (ME); Debbie Johnston and Glenda MacKinnon-Peters (PEI); Chris Recchia (VT); Judy Shope (MA); Terry Goldberg (NEWMOA); Praveen Amar and Margaret Round (NESCAUM); Jerry Weiss (EPA); Luke Trip and Cheryl Heathwood (CA).

  15. Action Category 6: Stockpile Management • Safe management-retirement • DOD/DOE Strategic Stockpile • Closed Industrial Facilities • Several NEG resolutions and letters advocating for national retirement strategy

  16. MERCURY MANAGEMENT-RETIREMENT ISSUES • Mercury recovery/ recycling/ stockpiles + decreased demand= need for strategies to manage and “retire” excess mercury • Change in thinking needed about mercury as a commodity • Requires national/ international leadership

  17. MERCURY MANAGEMENT-RETIREMENT ISSUES • Disposal/ “Retirement” strategies should address: • Supply-demand factors • Primary production • Sequestration mechanisms and infrastructure

  18. MERCURY MANAGEMENT-RETIREMENT PRIORITIES • Supply- Demand Management • Continued / expanded efforts to: • Eliminate unnecessary use • Reduce other uses • Limit new uses • Supply- demand tracking needed

  19. MERCURY MANAGEMENT-RETIREMENT PRIORITIES • Mechanism(s) to Prevent Large Mercury Stores From Entering International Markets • Needed now • National approach • Mechanisms/ infrastructure and $: • Purchase/transport/storage • Safe storage facilities: DLA?

  20. MERCURY MANAGEMENT-RETIREMENT PRIORITIES • “Retirement” Mechanisms/ Infrastructure • Safe, long-term sequestration from biosphere • Excess “commodity” mercury that exceeds necessary uses

  21. MERCURY MANAGEMENT-RETIREMENT PRIORITIES • Controls on Primary Production • Free market mechanisms • Already at work- sufficient? • Economic intervention and incentives: economic assistance • Regulations

  22. MERCURY MANAGEMENT-RETIREMENT PRIORITIES • Global Nature of Issue Necessitate International Approaches • Technology Transfer • Mercury-free Alternatives • Control Technologies • Capacity Building

  23. CONCLUSIONS • Mercury Management and Retirement Should Be Priorities at National and International Levels • Need Short-term Strategy to Keep Large Mercury “Stores” Safely off the Market • Need Longer-term Strategy for “Safe” Retirement

  24. The following slides are included to provide additional information on the NEG-ECP Mercury Action Plan and the Massachusetts State Zero Mercury Strategy.Additional details can be obtained by contacting John Shea at 617-423-6900 or C. Mark Smith at 617-292-5509 or visiting the following web sites: http://www.cmp.ca/neg.htmhttp://www.cmp.ca/mercuryreport/2001.pdfhttp://www.state.ma.us/dep/http://www.state.ma.us/envir/mercury.pdf

  25. NEG-ECP MERCURY ACTION PLAN ACTION CATEGORY SUMMARIES

  26. Action Category 2: Emissions Reductions • Aggressive Action • MSWCs • MWIs • Utilities • Others

  27. Emission Reduction Commitments Municipal Waste Incinerators • Emission limit 0.028 mg/dscm: 3-fold lower than EPA • All jurisdictions implementing • Parallel P2 initiatives in all States; MA regulations include mandatory P2 efforts

  28. Medical Waste Incinerators • Emission limit 0.055 mg/dscm (10-fold lower than EPA) • Lower limits being evaluated by several states (MA, CT) • Pollution prevention and emission control technologies • As a result, many facilities closed

  29. Utility And Non-utility Boilers • Largest Remaining Category • Task Force Evaluating • Multipollutant control options • Reduction targets: 60-90% by 2010 • Near-term and long-term reduction strategies

  30. Action Category 3: Source Reduction and Waste Mgmt • Overall Objectives • Reduce/eliminate Nonessential Uses • Segregate and Recycle • Priority Areas • Regional Products Legislation • Enhanced Mercury Collection Efforts • Medical/ Dental P2 Projects

  31. Key principles • Reduce mercury in wastes • Harmonize P2 efforts • Reduce costs • Educate consumers • Guide regional efforts • Model legislative approaches; existing acts and regulations and pollution prevention programs

  32. Action Category 4: Outreach and Education • Overall Objectives • Public Education/ P2 Outreach to Users • Regional Efforts • Outreach Strategy: Jurisdictional Implementation • Schools; thermometer exchanges; brochures; web information; displays • Public Survey: Little Awareness

  33. Action Category 5: Research, Analysis, Strategic Monitoring • Overall Objective:Improve Understanding of Sources/ Impacts; Track Progress • Regional Efforts • Key Indicators to Track Progress • Focused on Goals Of Action Plan • Summary Report Completed

  34. Research, Analysis, Strategic Monitoring (continued) • Technology Assessment • CEMs/ Control Technology • Regional Monitoring Programs • Draft Report on Deposition Monitoring • Coordination/ Data Mgmt. • Initial Focus on Emission-Release Inventory

  35. Conclusions- NEG-ECP Action Plan • Key role in efforts to address major regional hg sources • Model for other regional and international policy efforts • Importance of State leadership • “Pushed” agencies to address issues across traditional disciplines • Major progressin reducing mercury releases

  36. Estimated Reductions In Regional Incinerator Emissions by 2003

  37. Estimated Overall Regional Mercury Emission Reductions

  38. MASSACHUSETTS ZERO MERCURY STRATEGY Summary of key components

  39. MASSACHUSETTS ZERO MERCURY STRATEGY • Pollution Control • Stringent MSWC Emission Limit • Stringent MWI Emission Limit- 0.028 • Evaluation of limits for Utilities • Upstream Reduction for Wastewater

  40. MASSACHUSETTS ZERO MERCURY STRATEGY • Pollution Prevention/Outreach • MSWC Source Separation Requirements • School Cleanouts • Products Legislation • Thermometer Exchange Programs • Municipal Support

  41. MASSACHUSETTS ZERO MERCURY STRATEGY • Research and Monitoring • Air Deposition • Fish; Other Biota; Sediments • Technology Evaluations • Amalgam Separators • CEMs

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