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Since the late 1980's, there has been a decreasing trend in mercury emissions and use from manufacturing sources in the United States. Listed below are links to resources that can help companies and organizations further reduce their use and release of mercury. For information about laws and regulations concerning mercury in batteries, waste products, utilities, medical waste and other products, please see Laws and Regulations.

General
Health Care/Dental Providers
Sewage Treatment Plants
Power Plants
Chlor-alkali Industry
Iron and Steel Production
Auto Industry
Solid Waste Management
Mercury Devices in Appliances
Mercury Switches in Automobiles
Fluorescent bulbs, Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) and Other Mercury-Containing Bulbs
Mercury and Pollution Prevention

General

Mercury Study Report to Congress - EPA prepared this report to fulfill requirements of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. Published in 1997, it is an eight volume assessment of the magnitude of U.S. mercury emissions by source; the health and environmental impacts of those emissions; and the availability and cost of control technologies. Additional, more recent information can be found by going to our Data and Publications page.

Health Care/Dental Providers

Health Care Providers - Resources relating to issues of particular concern to people who work in the health care and dental industries, including the medical uses of mercury, programs to reduce the use of mercury, health effects of mercury, workplace safety, how to handle mercury spills, and proper disposal and treatment of mercury waste.

Sewage Treatment Plants

Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA) reports:
Evaluation of Domestic Sources of Mercury (PDF) (2000)(29 pp., 2.8MB, About PDF)
Mercury Source Control and Pollution Prevention Program Evaluation (2002)

Pollution prevention at publicly-owned treatment works is a resource listing compiled by EPA’s Region 5 office that contains useful information on activities aimed at reducing releases of mercury.

Power Plants

The Controlling Power Plant Emissions section of this site provides information about regulating mercury emissions from power plants.

Energy efficiency and use of renewable energy can reduce emissions of mercury and other pollutants. Check the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network page.

Chlor-alkali Industry

Regulations and Standards page provides information about regulating mercury emissions from chlor-alkali plants.

Characteristics of Mercury Emissions at a Chlor-Alkali Plant (PDF) (267 pp., 1.45MB, About PDF) A Report Prepared for EPA Region 5 by National Risk Management Research Laboratory, March 2002.

Iron and Steel Production

A Guide to Mercury Reduction in Industrial and Commercial Settings (PDF) (July 2001)(52 pp., 360 KB, About PDF) a Joint Effort by Ispat Inland Indiana Harbor Works, Bethlehem Steel Burns Harbor Division, US Steel Gary Works, The Delta Institute, and the Lake Michigan Forum.

On April 22, 2004, EPA issued a regulation to control emissions from iron and steel foundries. The rule included emission limits for manufacturing processes and pollution prevention-based requirements to reduce air toxics from furnace charge materials and coating/binder formulations. The rule also included a work practice requirement to ensure removal of auto mercury switches from scrap.

On May 20, 2005, EPA issued a direct final rule amending the work practice requirements for materials certification and scrap selection/inspection programs. The direct final amendments added clarification and flexibility but do not materially change the requirements of the April 22, 2004 rule.

On December 28, 2007, EPA issued a final National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) rule for electric arc furnace steelmaking facilities. The final rule established requirements for the control of mercury emissions that are based on the maximum achievable control technology and requirements for the control of other hazardous air pollutants that are based on generally available control technology or management practices. The Quicksilver Caucus of the Environmental Council of the States issued a fact sheet about this rule designed to help state and local agencies (PDF) (86K, 8 pp.) understand how this rule applies to mercury emissions.

National Vehicle Mercury Switch Recovery Program (NVMSRP). On August 11, 2006, EPA announced a national program to recover 80-90 percent of available mercury switches from scrap automobiles before they are melted to make new steel. The NVMSRP, primarily through the End of Life Vehicles Solution (ELVS) Corporation provides educational materials, collection supplies, free shipping and, currently, a monetary incentive to automobile dismantlers.

The NVMSRP will not end if monetary incentives cease to be offered to automobile dismantlers recovering switches. The NVMSRP is scheduled to continue until 2017, based upon an estimate that all available mercury vehicle switches will have been collected by that year. Until then, mercury vehicle switches will continue to be recovered, recycled and buckets transported at no cost to participants, regardless of whether switch incentive payments are available.

You will find more information such as the number of mercury vehicle switches that have been recovered and a list of participating dismantling facilities in each state by visiting the Web site for the End of Life Vehicle Solutions, Inc. . Join the NVMSRP . Auto recyclers who join the NVMSRP may gain recognition for setting and meeting switch recovery goals under EPA’s National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP).

View more information about the iron and steel foundries NESHAP.

Ohio EPA has produced a report, Mercury Contamination from Metal Scrap Processing Facilities (PDF),(10 pp, 43 K, PDF) showing significant mercury emissions at electric arc furnaces resulting from mercury in scrap, and showing a relationship between scrap type and mercury emissions.

The Clean Car Campaign's report on Toxics in Vehicles: Mercury (PDF) (January 2001)(76 pp, 1.4MB, PDF) , chapter 4, contains an estimate of mercury emissions resulting from use of scrap steel.

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Policy Position (PDF) (March 2001)(1 pp., 25 KB, About PDF) calls on scrap processors to remove mercury switches from vehicles, and the auto industry to support these efforts.

Auto Industry

The Clean Car Campaign of the Ecology Center, Great Lakes United, University of Tennessee Center for Clean Products and Clean Technologies produced the following reports:

Toxics in Vehicles: Mercury (PDF)(1 pp., 25 KB, About PDF) (January 2001)
Mercury in Vehicles (PDF),(5 pp., 630 KB, About PDF) (April 2004)

The Wisconsin Mercury Sourcebook contains a chapter on mercury use in the automotive sector.

In October 2007, EPA issued a Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) to require notification to EPA 90 days prior to U.S. manufacture, import or processing of elemental mercury for use in convenience light switches, anti-lock brake system (ABS) switches and active ride control system switches in certain motor vehicles.

Solid Waste Management

Mercury Devices from Appliances

2001 report of the Franklin County, Massachusetts Solid Waste Management District describing identification and removal of switches and other mercury-bearing devices found in residential and commercial appliances.

NEWMOA, the Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association, provides information on the use of mercury in cooking ranges and other cooking equipment.

Mercury Switches in Automobiles

July 2009 Notice to all NVMSRP Mercury Switch Collection Participants: The NVMSRP voluntary incentive fund is now depleted. Incentive payments will continue in states where they are required by law (AR, IL, IA, MA, NJ, RI, UT, MD) or have a state funded program (NC, SC,WA) but have ceased in voluntary states. All other aspects of the switch collection program will continue. You are strongly encouraged to continue removing switches and the program will continue to accept these switches at no cost to participants. Thank you in advance for your commitment to the environment.

NEWMOA, the Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association, provides information on best management practices for using mercury in automotive switches.

How to find, remove and replace mercury switches in automobiles, including how-to advice and guidance from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) on regulatory issues related to auto mercury switch removal, and information about proper management of mercury-containing switches.

Fluorescent bulbs, Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) and Other Mercury-Containing Bulbs

Mercury-Containing Light Bulb (Lamp) Recycling: Building owners and managers can learn how to store, transport and recycle or otherwise dispose of mercury-containing light bulbs.

Mercury and Pollution Prevention

NEWMOA, the Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association, has developed several tools to assist states and manufacturers in their efforts to reduce the use of mercury in products:

Interstate Mercury Education and Reduction Clearinghouse (IMERC)- The Interstate Mercury Education and Reduction Clearinghouse (IMERC) provides ongoing technical and programmatic assistance to states that have enacted provisions of the Mercury Education and Reduction Model Legislation, and provides a single point of contact for industry and the public for information on mercury-containing products and member states' mercury education and reduction programs.

Interstate Mercury Education & Reduction Clearinghouse (IMERC) Mercury-Added Products Database - This database presents information submitted to IMERC on the amount and purpose of mercury in consumer products. The database is intended to inform consumers, recyclers, policy makers and others about: products that contain intentionally-added mercury and the amount of mercury, along with the manufacturers of these products.

Mercury Reductions Programs Database - This database provides information about mercury reduction programs across the nation. You can also add information about a program that your organization has created to reduce mercury.