US Congress eyes ban of mercury-process chlorine

13 March 2008 22:09  [Source: ICIS news]

WASHINGTON (ICIS news)--The sponsor of a US House bill that would force the shutdown of four chlor-alkali plants by the end of 2011 unless they switch to non-mercury processes said on Thursday she is gathering support for the measure.

 

Representative Janice Schakowsky (Democrat-Illinois) said she has sent a letter to other House members seeking cosponsors for her bill, HR-5580, that was introduced earlier this week.

 

The bill provides that “effective 1 January 2012, the manufacture of chlorine or caustic soda using mercury cells is prohibited in the US”.

 

Schakowsky said that of approximately 30 chlor-alkali plants operating in the US, only four still use the older mercury cell technology.

 

“While there has been much focus on reducing mercury pollution from coal-burning power plants, the average mercury chlor-alkali plant emits four times more mercury than the average power plant,” she said.

 

The bill would require the four mercury cell chlor-alkali plants to switch to the ion exchange membrane process by the end of 2011 or cease operations.

 

In addition, if passed this year the legislation would require the four mercury cell plants to begin annual reporting in 2009 on how much mercury-tainted hazardous waste each facility produced, how it was managed and how much mercury was released into the environment.

 

Among the four facilities, two are operated by Olin Corporation in Augusta, Georgia, and Charleston, Tennessee.  The two others are operated by Ashta Chemicals in Ashtabula, Ohio, and PPG Industries at New Martinsville, West Virginia. None of the companies was available for comment late on Thursday.

By: Joe Kamalick
+1 713 525 2653

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