I. Projects with Developing countries

II. Projects focusing on phasing-out mercury in the chlorine industry

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Projects with Developing countries

Financial support is provided through the Zero MErcury Campaign to NGOs from developing countries for national activities as well as participation at international level, to assist in the global campaign.

As a result 5 NGOs from Developing countries and representing Indigenous Peoples affected by mercury pollution, were chosen and funded to actively participate to the UNEP GCSF and Governing Council in Nairobi, Kenya(February 2005). These were the following:

- Toxics Link, India
-Associação de Combate aos POPs - ACPO, Brazil
- Global Village of Beijing, China
- groundWork, South Africa
- International Indian Treaty Council, USA (Alaska, California)

Representatives from Toxics, Link, ACPO and the Global Village of Beijing actively attended the international conference on mercury in Madrid, where presentation of the country’s experiences were given.

Four from the listed organisations from Developing countries were given small grants to develop projects in their countries in relation to mercury. Toxics Link, ACPO, Global Village of Beijing and groundWork were selected and have been working on their proposed and approved projects Phase I in view of building capacity in their countries concerning mercury and with the objective to contribute to the European/global campaign.

Projects and deliverables

China - Global Village of Beijing
Contact person: Mao Da, Xue Yu Li

GVB Phase I proposal
GVB Phase II proposal
GVB Phase III proposal
GVB Phase IV proposal

Deliverables :
Project website
Factbook on mercury in EN and CHI
Guidebook in the form of wallet.
Poster
Exhibition boards 1 , 2
Boards exhibited outsideuniversities 1, 2 , 3
Conference launching the project - picture
NGO Workshop

New Exhibition boards: http://www.mercury.ngo.cn/xiazai/Exhibition%20Boards.rar
Poster : http://www.mercury.ngo.cn/xiazai/Poster.jpg
Mercury book: http://www.mercury.ngo.cn/xiazai/Mercury%20Fact%20Book.pdf
booklet: http://www.mercury.ngo.cn/xiazai/Brochure.pdf
Mercury CD: http://www.mercury.ngo.cn/xiazai/Mercury%20(CH).wmv
Photo of mercury workshop(1.26): http://www.mercury.ngo.cn/xiazai/1-26/1-26.rar
Investigation report in Guizhou:
http://www.mercury.ngo.cn/xiazai/China%20Situation/GVB_Guizhou%20Mercury%20Investigation.pdf

photos of activities in some universities:
http://www.mercury.ngo.cn/huoban/huoban.html

Report from the Guizhou Mercury Investigation submitted to Government (CHI)
English Executive Summary of the report from Guizhou
Final report from Phase II 

Study under Phase III: Market Research Report on Chinese Mercury-free Thermometers and Sphygmomanometers
Agenda from the 2007 China NGOs Skillshare on Chemical Safety

South Africa - groundWork/Friends of the Earth South Africa
Contact person: Rico Euripidou

groundWork Phase I proposal
groundWork Phase II proposal
groundWork Phase III proposal 

groundWork Phase IV proposal

Deliverables
Report and deliverables from phase I
Submission to DEAT- SAICM Regional Meeting, 23/8/2006
Final Report Phase II

Final  Report Phase III

Brazil - Associação de Combate aos POPs (ACPO)
Contact person: Zuleica Nycz, Jeffer Castello Branco

ACPO Phase I proposal
ACPO Phase II proposal
ACPO Phase III proposal

Deliverables
Letter sent to EU Commissioners on the EU mercury export ban
ACPO Initial Comments on the Regional Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Mercury Contamination in Amazon Ecosystems, 14 September 2006
ACPO Final Report Phase II, January 2007
Brochure on chlor-alkali campaign in Brazil, January 2007

India - Toxics Link
Contact person: Ravi Agarwal, Prashant Pastore

Toxics Link Phase I proposal
Toxics Link Phase II proposal
Toxics Link Phase III proposal

Deliverables
Report and deliverables from Phase I

Projects focuced on phasing-out mercury in the chlorine industry

During Phase II of the Zero Mercury Campaign, the EEB focused on the mercury use in the chlor-alkali sector and more specifically in Italy, Spain and the Czech republic. Monitoring of mercury in the air outside 11 chlor-alkali plants took place in June 2006.
The monitoring was carried out by Ecologistas en Acción in Spain, by Legambiente in Italy, and by Arnika in the Czech Republic.  The monitoring was part of a broader effort by EEB and cooperating organisations to:-

• create momentum in each country towards obtaining a national commitment for the early conversion of existing mercury-cell chlor-alkali plants, while ensuring that decommissioned mercury from these plants will be safely stored and not re-enter the market; and to
• raise awareness on mercury issues in general.

Further to the chlor-alkali campaign, the EEB commissioned a study to Concorde East/West SA on the Status of the Mercury cell chlor-alkali plants in Europe. The study highlighted the impact of Europe’s chlor-alkali plants. It reveals growing evidence that mercury air emissions from the EU’s chlorine plants may be significantly under-reported, by as much as five times, and might even equal emission levels from the EU’s large coal-fired power stations.

EEB has also issued its own report - Risky Business! No need for mercury in the chlorine industry - including independent air quality sampling results from around mercury-cell chlor-alkali factories in Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic, which found disturbingly high mercury levels around ten of the eleven plants monitored. 
EEB has recommended to EU and national policy-makers that they:-

• Phase out the mercury-cell process as soon as possible, and by 2010 at the latest, as part of an EU initiative or national commitment, (in contrast to industry’s 2020 commitment)
• Safely store surplus mercury from decommissioned plants so it can’t be re-sold
• Remove mercury contamination resulting from plant operation and waste disposal
• Deny operating permits (under the IPPC Directive) to plants using obsolete non-BAT technology
• Prepare full guidelines for decommissioning plants and safely storing all mercury
• Ensure continuous, comprehensive and independently-verified monitoring of mercury emissions from plants, on-site, and at site perimeters, and full accounting for any unexplained loss of mercury from the process
• Improved monitoring of factory workers’ and local residents’ health.

National reports can be found for Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic

A press release on the same issue has been sent out on 10 November 2006, revealing the publication of the two reports.

Czech version, by STUZ, of EEB´s PR "Risky Business: Phase-out mercury in chlorine industry" with 1 paragraph with specific Czech info about Czech chlor-alkali (Spolana, Spolchemie). Czech PR version is available here: http://www.stuz.cz/view.php?cisloclanku=2006110009

The press release also went out in Spain by Ecologistas en Accion - http://www.ecologistasenaccion.org/article.php3?id_article=6078

Eurochlor responded with a statement - on the 14 November 2006.

As  an answer to that, on the 23 November 2006 the EEB sent a letter to EuroChlor copied to EU Member State representatives and journalists

Further to our chlor-alkali campaigns see also the press release issued by Arnika - member of the Zero Mercury Working Group on one of the two mercury-cell chlor-alkali plants operating in the Czech Republic Spolchemie is allowed to operate mercury electrolysis till the end of 2012 only - 21.12.2006

On February 27, 2007 Legambiente organised a conference on chemicals including focus on the chlor-alkali industry following the campaign and monitoring as above.
A press release was posted by Legambiente on the issue , accompanied by a revised report on the Italian Chlor-alkali campaign

The event was covered by press as below.

Spanish - campaign (21/2/2007)
the campaign "Mercurio en pescado" is having great repercussion in the Spanish media.

visit:
http://www.ecologistasenaccion.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=183
http://www.ecologistasenaccion.org/IMG/pdf/guia_peces_mercurio.pdf