Minnesota's mercury contamination reduction initiative

• Published in: Fuel processing technology Vol. 65; pp. 79 - 99
• Main Authors: Jackson, Anne M, Swain, Edward B, Andrews, Carol A, Rae, Douglas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-06-2000
• Subjects: Mercury; Minnesota; Waste combustors; Mercury; Minnesota; Waste combustors
• ISSN: 0378-3820; 1873-7188
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-3820(99)00078-8

In February 1999, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) finished development of a comprehensive policy for reducing mercury contamination in the fish in Minnesota lakes. The MPCA's Mercury Contamination Reduction Initiative Advisory Council developed a mercury emissions inventory of sources in Minnesota, and recommended a time table for reductions, options and strategies for controlling, reducing, or eliminating mercury. Minnesota greatly reduced mercury emissions from waste combustors by regulating disposal of mercury-containing products, banning the sale of mercury-containing batteries, and imposing strict mercury emission limits for waste combustors. To determine whether efforts to reduce or eliminate mercury in products results in environmental benefits, MPCA characterized the fate of mercury in products, tracking its presence in various waste streams and estimated the quantity of mercury accidentally released to the air, land and water. For every 100 pounds of mercury properly disposed of or not used, 15 pounds of mercury per year is not released to the air. Overall reductions in mercury emissions and consequently, mercury deposition, are estimated to result in reducing the number of less restrictive fish consumption advisories by over 70%. The cost-effectiveness of various control techniques has been estimated for all sources of mercury air emissions in Minnesota. The lowest cost options (less than US$2500 per pound of mercury reduced) are products-related control options. Carbon injection at municipal waste combustors is estimated to cost US$5000 to US$7000 per pound of mercury reduced. Controlling mercury from utilities burning coal range from US$10,000 to US$300,000 per pound of mercury reduced. Data collected suggest that mercury in products, expressed through emissions from waste combustors, sludge incinerators, and backyard burning is still a significant and controllable source of mercury emissions, and appears to be cost-effective. Further research into controls at energy producers and taconite facilities needs to be done in order to address these sources, in order to achieve the 70%-mercury reduction goal (from 1990 levels) recommended by the Advisory Council.