Number: 2001-09
WHEREAS, mercury is a persistent, bioaccumulative and highly toxic pollutant; and
WHEREAS, health warnings issued in 41 U.S. states and territories advise people to reduce or avoid consumption of certain fresh water and marine fish due to mercury contamination; and
WHEREAS, a report released by the National Academy of Sciences in 2000 estimates that 60,000 U.S. children are born annually who are at risk for learning disabilities or other neurological impairments due to mercury exposure they received in the womb; and
WHEREAS, research has established that mercury poses serious threats to the reproductive success and well being of common loons and other fish-eating wildlife; and
WHEREAS, mercury is still widely used in the manufacture of chlorine and caustic soda, thermostats, medical instruments, lighting, electrical switches and other products; and
WHEREAS, the use and disposal of products made with or containing mercury is a major source of mercury pollution in the United States and globally; and
WHEREAS, ten chlor-alkali plants in the U.S. still use large amounts of mercury to produce chlorine and caustic soda from salt water using the ‘mercury cell process’; and
WHEREAS, a trend is underway to close mercury-cell chlor-alkali plants or convert them to a mercury-free process due to serious mercury pollution and high operating costs; and
WHEREAS, when closed or converted, these plants will free up at least 3.5 million pounds of mercury, which if sold for reuse will result in environmental releases of mercury; and
WHEREAS, the recent closure of the HoltraChem chlor-alkali plant in Maine resulted in the sale of 260,000 pounds of mercury for re-use in India and elsewhere; and
WHEREAS, the government of India rejected the HoltraChem mercury shipment exported from the United States due to concerns about its environmental impact in India; and
WHEREAS, some of the mercury exported from the U.S. will return in the form of mercury-contaminated rainfall and snowfall and imported mercury-containing products; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. government maintains a stockpile of about 10 million pounds of mercury managed by the Department of Defense that no longer has strategic value; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Defense halted mercury sales from the national stockpile in 1994 due to environmental concerns and is evaluating options for storage, treatment and disposal;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation at its Annual Meeting assembled April 4-6, 2001 in Washington, DC, supports as an interim measure, acceptance by the U.S. Department of Defense of mercury leftover from industrial production for storage with the national mercury stockpile; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in coordination with other federal agencies, take actions to ensure the permanent retirement of leftover industrial mercury, and to promote the reduction of the global demand for mercury.