Originally published January 31 2005
Chlorine plants major source of mercury contamination
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Nine chlorine factories are one of the United States' largest source of mercury pollution, according to a report by an environmental group. Efforts to control mercury contamination have focused on coal plants, but chlorine production is also a major source of pollution. The chlorine industry generally has made great strides in reducing mercury output, but these nine plants still use an older technology that relies on mercury in the production cycle.
High Levels of Toxin Seen at 9 Chlorine Plants Mercury emissions may be as high as those at coal-fueled facilities, an environmental group reports.
A new report has found that nine chlorine factories are among the nation's largest sources of mercury, a potent neurotoxin that spreads globally and has rendered some seafood unsafe to eat.
To be released today, the report, written by the environmental group Oceana, documents what it calls a "long-overlooked" source of mercury polluting the air.
The chlorine industry and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency acknowledge that the chemical plants have been a sizable source of mercury pollution.
Most U.S. efforts to control mercury have focused on coal-fired power plants, which are facing controversial and costly new efforts to regulate their emissions.
But the report concludes that nine chlorine plants, mostly in the Southeast and Midwest, could be releasing as much, or more, mercury than the power companies are.
The mercury-cell chlorine factories each reported emitting an average of 1,097 pounds of mercury into the air in 2002, five times more than the average power plant, according to Oceana's analysis of reports that companies filed annually with the EPA.
How much mercury they release into the environment is largely unknown, because many tons are "missing" at the chlorine plants every year --- unaccounted for in the companies' annual inventories, according to a 2004 industry report.
The chlorine companies say they will further reduce mercury emissions by as much as 93% under the new EPA regulation.
The nine plants are located in Louisiana, Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin, and are operated by Olin Corp., Occidental Chemicals, PPG Industries, Ashta Chemicals Inc., Vulcan Chemicals and Pioneer Companies Inc.
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