Abstract

This report describes an economic and environmental analysis of technologies for the treatment and disposal of elemental mercury. The analysis considers three treatment technologies that convert elemental mercury into a stable form of mercury. The technologies are identified as Option A, Option B, and Option C in this report. Several vendors use processing techniques or prepare economic information that has been claimed as proprietary; however, only nonproprietary information is presented in this report.

Each of the three treatment technologies is subject to a number of variations that include a centralized treatment facility or one or more mobile treatment facilities, followed by macroencapsulation or no macroencapsulation, with ultimate disposal in a monofill. Thus, there are twelve treatment and disposal alternatives. Also, three different masses of mercury are being considered for each of the 12 alternatives: 5,000 metric tons, 12,000 metric tons, and 25,000 metric tons.

In addition, cost estimates have been prepared for storage of the three masses of elemental mercury in above-ground facilities, making a total of 39 cost estimates in all. It is assumed that 1,000 metric tons (M/T) per year are treated and disposed of, independent of the total mass. For the storage alternatives, it is assumed that 5,000 M/T are already in storage (consistent with the existing amount in government stockpiles) and that the additional elemental mercury becomes available over 12 and 25 years, respectively, for the 12,000 M/T and 25,000 M/T alternatives (due to chlor-alkali plant closure).

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Paul Randall

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